Mechaal and Brea, Spanish champions in Ortuella

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Adel Mechaal (Catalonia), who revalidated the title, and the Spanish-Venezuelan Joselyn Brea (Galicia), a duathlon and triathlon specialist, were declared Spanish Cross Country Champions in the Biscayan town of Ortuella, in races where where The Spanish-Burundian Thierry Ndikumwenayo (Valencian Community) and the Moroccan resident in Euskadi Majida Maayouf (Basque Country) prevailed.

Those victories, which in the end are not titles, somewhat reflect what happened this Sunday, where many foreign runners live in Spain, have Spanish nationality or are waiting to get it, representing different regional teams.

The races were held on the very difficult circuit of Las Balsas, completely muddy, with large puddles and a huge slope near the end that ended with the selection of candidates.

Also noteworthy is the wide range of athletes’ sports profiles, from middle-distance runners to specialists in long-distance races, including marathon runners and even regulars in other sports, such as duathlon and triathlon.

In the absolute and sub-23 races, there are five laps of the 1,800-meter circuit, up to a total of 9,500 meters, and in the sub-20 four, that is, 7,620 meters. Also in the Mixed Relay he gave four laps, one per reliever.

ANDThe Spanish Championships also have the added incentive that the first two are classified in the full race and the first four in the sub-20 got a direct pre-selection place for Bathurst World Cross Country Championships (Australia) on February 18.

The ultimate masculine test It has several leaders at the beginning, such as the local Chakib Lachgar (Basque of Basque) and the Spanish-Uruguayan Santiago Catrofe (Catalonia), but from the middle of the journey it is a duel between the current champion Mechaal and of the Spanish-Burundian Thierry Ndikumwenayo (Comunidad Valenciana), who still could not qualify for the title.

Ndikumwenoyo won after an attack shortly after the finish and after catching a race-leading Mechaal midway through the course, he commanded for a good portion of it and finally gave up in just three seconds. In 30″24 he completed the 9,500 meter Ndikumwenayo course and in 30″27 Mechaal.

Although he did not win the race, perhaps blaming some wear and tear after 1,500 in 3:38.85 on Friday at the Karlsruhe (Germany) rally, Mechaal retained the title in 2022.

Their rivals finished far from the first two. Among those who completed the official championship podium were the surprising Sergio Paniagua (Extremadura) and Andreu Blanes (Valencian Community), 31 and 35 seconds behind the event winner. By federations, the Valencian Community (41 points) is champion ahead of Catalonia (42) and Castilla y León (43).

The female absolute test was a recital by local Majida Maayouf (Basque Country), a Moroccan who is also a marathon specialist who has lived in the Basque Country for many years but still has not qualified for the champion title.

That allowed the Spanish-Venezuelan Joselyn Brea (Galicia) to achieve the gold, with outstanding biathlon and triathlon victories. However, Brea was finally approached by Cristina Ruiz (Castilla y León) from Burgos, the end runner-up in 2022.

Ruiz, second last year behind the absent Carla Gallardo today, is ahead of Irene-Sánchez Escribano (Castilla-La Mancha), winner of 2020 and 2021 and main favorite a priori, and Laura Luengo (Extremadura), after pick them up at the end of the race.

The final periods made clear the absolute dominance of Maayouf, who finished the 9,500 meters in 33.11. Brea did it in 35.34, Ruiz in 35.37, Sánchez-Escribano in 35.53 and then in 35.57. Through the federations, Castilla y León won (48 points) ahead of Galicia (79) and Castilla y León (87).

The sub-20 men’s event opened in the morningwhich was decided in a sprint between the three in which the strongest was Sergio del Barrio (Aragón), with Aleix Vives (Catalonia) and Aitor García (Madrid) in his wake.

Del Barrio (2005) won with a time of 25.42 and Vives (2004) and García (2004) took one and two seconds respectively. Rubén Leonardo (Castilla y León) was fourth (25.52). By federations, Catalonia is champion (25 points) ahead of Aragon (40) and Madrid (64).

The second race is the women’s sub-23, where María Viciosa (Castilla y León) prevailed, after a final rush in which the recent European champion María Forero (Andalusia) and the local María Mendia (Basque Country) could not answer.

The three were clearly the strongest in a test where the one from the Viciosa saga completed the course in 36.46, with a five second advantage over Forero and seven over Mendia. Through the federations, Galicia (53 points) is champion ahead of Castilla y León (54) and Madrid (56).

In the men’s under-23 race, El Madhi El Nabaoui (Galicia), who did not compete for the individual title, won, so the champion was the second classified, Miguel Ángel Martínez, who entered next followed by the favorite Pol Oriach (Aragón ) and Adam Maijò (Catalonia).

All within eight seconds, from 31.09 for El Nabaoui to 31.17 for Maijò, passing 31.12 for Martínez and 31.14 for Oriach. By federations, the Valencian Community (53 points) is champion ahead of Catalonia (56) and Madrid (67).

In the middle of the race program, the new Mixed Relay took place, where Catalunya won, launched by an impressive second post from Abderrahim Ougra, who took the relay from Laura Rodríguez in second position and allowed Marina Guerrero and Artur Bossy who flew towards the first. historical gold test.

They also completed the first historic podium in the Madrid Mixed Relay, with a great last post by Gonzalo Parra, and Castilla y León, which started to lead the race and gradually lost steam. Catalunya completed 7,620 routes, four laps of the circuit, one per reliever, in 26.14, while Madrid did it in 26.35 and Castilla y León 27.00.

After a full race, this national cross country closed the women’s sub-20, strangely dominating with absolute authority the two sub-18s who could not qualify for the title, the promising María Viciosa Castilla y León) , who gave his family the second victory of the morning with a time of 30.20, and Xela Martínez, who arrived eight seconds later.

It gave gold to Mariam Benkert (Asturias, 31.05), silver and bronze to Jimena Blanco (Madrid, 31.36) and Blanca Batlle (Catalonia, 31.44), and Amber Tomas (Catalonia, 32.09) the last place in the World Cup. By federations, Catalonia (30) is champion ahead of Madrid (67) and the Valencian Community (73).

Source: La Verdad

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