The 2024 SPAR European Cross Country Championships will showcase Europe’s finest U20 athletes at Antalya’s Dokuma Park this Sunday. Leading the charge in the men’s and women’s U20 races are Niels Laros of the Netherlands and Great Britain’s Innes FitzGerald, both favorites after stellar seasons.
Dutch star Niels Laros, crowned 2024 European Athletics Rising Star of the Year, is aiming to claim his first continental U20 title after a second-place finish in Brussels last year.
Known for his blistering track performances, Laros set a European U20 1500m record of 3:29.56 at the Paris Olympics and a world U20 1000m record of 2:14.37 in Hengelo. He also showed his dominance on the cross-country circuit by beating senior competitors at the Warandecross in Tilburg. With teammate Juan Zijderlaan, the European U20 5000m list leader, Laros hopes to lead the Netherlands to their first team podium.
However, the men’s race will be fiercely contested. Norway’s Andreas Fjeld Halvorsen, the 2023 world U20 3000m champion, and Sweden’s Karl Ottfalk, who placed fourth in Brussels last year, are among the top challengers.
Great Britain’s Henry Dover, sixth in Brussels, is also targeting podium success. The team title looks to be a battle between Great Britain, Norway, Spain, and the Netherlands, with Ireland, the defending champions, facing tough competition.
On the women’s side, Innes FitzGerald is set to defend her European U20 cross-country crown. The Briton dominated last year’s race with a 19-second victory and recently won the British trials by an impressive 31-second margin. Her main rivals include Denmark’s Sofia Thøgersen, a multi-medalist at European U20 events, and France’s Jade Le Corre, who both join FitzGerald in a rematch of last year’s podium.
Norway’s Wilma Bekkemoen Torbiörnsson, a rising star with U18 records in the 1500m and 3000m, is also a strong contender.
In the women’s team competition, Great Britain aims for their record-extending 18th team title, with strong performances expected from Germany and Norway. Host nation Türkiye will look to standout performances from Balkan U20 champions Edibe Yagiz and Ali Tunc to inspire a home-crowd boost.
The action begins at 11:00 local time and will be streamed live on the European Athletics website, featuring expert commentary. Fans in Antalya can attend for free, making it an unmissable event for athletics enthusiasts.
