08 December 2012

A record number of athletes (539) are expected to compete in tomorrow’s SPAR European Cross Country Championships in Budapest, Hungary (9 December), despite significant travel problems arising as a result of a fire at Budapest Airport on Friday.

The 36-strong Aviva Great Britain and Northern Ireland team, due to arrive late on Friday afternoon, eventually arrived at the team hotel in Budapest at 1am this morning (Saturday) following an epic journey from the UK via Vienna, in Austria.

“All but one of our 35 teams have now arrived, and that team (Georgia) are currently on their way to the hotel, so I think we have many people to thank that we will have a Championship tomorrow,” said European Athletics Director General Christian Milz. “It was not our intention to test the Organising Committee, but I have to say it’s been a tremendous achievement by the LOC and European Athletics.”

Defending European Junior Cross Country Champion Emelia Gorecka (Mick Woods) could make it three successive podium finishes when she lines up in a strong junior women’s team tomorrow.

The 18-year-old – Britain’s only defending individual champion – was third behind her winning Aldershot, Farnham & District team mate Charlie Purdue when she made her European Cross Country debut in 2010.

On this occasion, she will be backed up by a strong squad that has every chance of continuing the strong tradition of success in this age group, where athletes have won six team gold medals in the last seven years.

“I’m really excited about getting out there and giving it my best shot,” said Gorecka, who was the Aviva GB & NI team representative at the European Athletics pre-event press conference. “My season has gone really well and I’m excited about racing the best in Europe.

“I have to focus on myself and I want to run to the best of my ability. In a Championship there are always athletes to keep an eye on, but for me it’s about expecting the unexpected; it could be anyone’s race, but if you go out with that attitude then nothing will come as a surprise.”

The Aviva GB & NI team as a whole is looking to reinforce its status as Europe’s top cross country nation and will target the defence of four team titles won 12 months ago when the entire squad returned with medals, topping the medal table for the fourth successive year.

The Budapest course, surrounded by 19th century buildings including a windmill, barns and a church, is frozen solid with a layer of snow on top and will remain essentially unchanged with temperatures hitting an overnight low of minus five for Saturday night, and a daytime high of minus two for Sunday.  

“The course is spectacular and beautiful, especially with the snow. It has some fantastic old buildings on it and I’ve never run anything like it, in fact I’ve only raced in the snow a few times,” added Gorecka.

She was backed up by defending senior women’s champion Fionnuala Britton: “It’s certainly very different to last year (in Slovenia), but that’s what makes cross country,” she said. “It’s so good, all courses are different. Some play to your strengths, some hit your weaknesses, but this one does look spectacular in the snow.”

The medal table alone has evidenced Great Britain’s success in this event in recent years, but Milz, when asked about the value of cross country as a base for track and sporting glory, went on to name three Brits – Mo Farah, Sebastian Coe and Triathlete Alistair Brownlee – as relevant examples, which is testament to the effect of a triumphant sporting summer for our nation in 2012.

Hungary is one hour ahead of the UK and the first event of the 2012 SPAR European Cross Country Championships kicks off at 10.15 (junior women) with the final event of the day – the senior men’s race – starting at 14:08 local time.

Follow Aviva GB & NI Team updates on @UKA_athletics Twitter feed over the course of the weekend, plus pre-event videos and athlete interviews on UKA’s official YouTube Channel.

A live European Athletics feed is available through the following link and BBC Two coverage is on in the UK from:1200-1345

The full Aviva GB & NI team is below, although please note that Jonny Hay (Mick Woods) has unfortunately had to withdraw due to Tonsillitis, which he developed on Thursday, and has been replaced by Andrew Heyes (Keith Whitelam).

AVIVA GB & NI TEAM

SENIOR MEN

Tom Farrell (Dave Smith) – Border/Oklahoma State; Keith Gerrard (Art Acevedo) – Newham & Essex Beagles; Tom Humphries (Phil Clamp) – Cannock & Stafford; Jonathan Taylor (Gordon Surtees) – Morpeth; Andy Vernon (Nic Bideau) – Aldershot, Farnham & District; Steve Vernon (Dave Turnbull) – Stockport;

SENIOR WOMEN

Elle Baker (Dave Turnbull) – Stockport; Louise Damen (self) – Winchester; Caryl Jones (George Edwards) – Swansea Harriers; Rosie Smith (Bryan Mackay) – Durham; Emily Wicks (Keith Donkin) – AFD; Katrina Wootton (Harvey Rose) – Coventry

UNDER-23 MEN

Nick Goolab (Steve Sharp) – Belgrave; Dewi Griffiths (Kevin Evans) – Swansea Harriers; Andrew Heyes (Keith Whitelam) – Hallamshire; Simon Horsfield (Norman Poole) -Sale Harriers Manchester; Scott McDonald (Derek Easton) – Central AC; James Wilkinson (Phil Townsend) – Leeds City AC

UNDER-23 WOMEN

Hannah Alderson (Alan Thomas) – Yate; Jess Coulson (Mick Woods) – Stockport; Lauren Howarth (Peter Riley) – Leigh Harriers; Lily Partridge (Self) – AFD; Beth Potter (Mick Woods) – Shaftesbury Barnet; Hannah Walker (Bud Baldaro) – Birchfield

JUNIOR MEN

Ian Bailey (Mick Woods) – AFD; Kieran Clements (Ricardo Santos) – Ipswich; Charlie Grice (Jon Bigg) – Brighton Phoenix; Charlie Hulson (Paul Roden) – Sale Harriers Manchester; William Paulson (Chris Frapwell) – Stroud AC; Luke Traynor (Dudley Walker) – Giffnock North

JUNIOR WOMEN

Rhona Auckland (Joyce Hogg) – Banchory & Stonehaven; Alex Clay (Peter Mullervy) – Invicta East Kent; Emelia Gorecka (Mick Woods) – AFD; Jessica Judd (Rob Denmark) – Chelmsford; Annabel Mason (John Mason) – Wakefield; Jenny Walsh (Deborah Rowlands) – Spenborough