Euro Cross Championships

[jambob]

It was heard in our house. I can't possibly type the comment my son made, but it meant 'what a plonker'.

[paul]

just a quick one...

Less than a year ago Twell's leg looked like something out of Passchendaele.
And yet here she is, absolutely incredibly, back very close to being internationally competitive.

The strength of will of young athletes like Twell is just astonishing.

[SteveK26]

Good results from the Euro x crountry, no doubt. And you can only beat the opposition that faces you. But which of these athletes, if any, will go on to challenge at the highest level on the track?
A long way to go on that front, I think; great to see Steph Twell make such an encouraging comeback nonetheless.

[tootingmick]

Really good performances on the whole but I'm a bit disappointed with the men's senior team. It's not like it was the strongest possible line-up (Mo and Thommo not there, some of the best Spaniards and Italians weren't there and quite a few of the best runners were in the U23 race!) and I don't think it's too much to ask for a few more in the top-10.

I wonder what Gemma Steel's plans are? She's 26 and improving all the time. Will she try a marathon soon, maybe?

Bit harsh on our men's senior team .They did move up from 7th after one lap
to grab 2nd place. Put the championships on at Parliament Hill Fields and
our lads would take some beating !
Last Sundays event was really a grass track race and our team probably lacked
the leg speed needed to cope as I imagine they are at the moment 'putting in
the miles' in preparation or a shot at Olympic selection.

[usedtoit33]

I don't know who'll go on to challenge at World level. Twell, pre-injury, was already there or very close. I think Emma Pallant has quite a lot of potential, as does Emilia Gorecka. Of athletes that weren't there, so do Eilish McColgan and Charlotte Purdue. Gemma Steel competed well with Britton. I was really encouraged by James Wilkinson's run in the U23s. He ran 8:38 I think for the chase last year and was close to Carvalho who is one of the better Europeans. I was a bit disappointed by Andy Baddeley, but he is a 1:46/3:34/13:20 which is not to be sniffed at.

[Jon Mulkeen]

Want to hear an incredible stat? If Aldershot, Farnham & District had been entered as a separate nation at the past seven editions of the European Cross-Country Champs, this is what the overall combined medals table would look like (based on individual medals only):

[Jon Mulkeen]

Bit harsh on our men's senior team .They did move up from 7th after one lap to grab 2nd place.

The fact they moved up so much on the final lap shows that they didn't go off hard enough and left themselves with too much to do. Andy Vernon admits as much in this week's AW.

[Jon Mulkeen]

I wonder what Gemma Steel's plans are? She's 26 and improving all the time. Will she try a marathon soon, maybe?

No plans for a marathon just yet. Her immediate aim is to try to qualify for the Olympics in either the 5000m or 10,000m.

[boysen]

In the business/financial world most investment is likely to be placed where it obtains the best return. Given John's figures there is a good case for ploughing money into the Surrey/Hampshire borders..even at the expense of other "areas". Down in the WOODS something stirs and dare we hope he is not seduced to tother side of the pond.

[sidelined]

I wonder if Emma Pallant and some of her club-mates should try the steeplechase. Do AFD have a set of women's steeplechase barriers? If not that's an investment that would surely be worth making.

[tootingmick]

I wonder if Emma Pallant and some of her club-mates should try the steeplechase. Do AFD have a set of women's steeplechase barriers? If not that's an investment that would surely be worth making.

To quote Matt Dawson 'good shout' .
Emma to me just lacks a big kick so
will always struggle on the track in
major senior competition but she is
tall and strong enough to make a big
impression in the 'chase.