:00:48. > :00:52.Welcome to highlights of the 2016 European Cross Country
:00:53. > :00:55.Championships. I don't know about you but when I think of
:00:56. > :00:59.cross-country I think of mud and went conditions and there was nobody
:01:00. > :01:04.better at it than Paula Radcliffe, welcome. What can we look forward
:01:05. > :01:08.to? Good racing, traditionally a very happy hunting ground for us
:01:09. > :01:14.going to the European Cross Country Championships. Expect more of the
:01:15. > :01:17.same from the under 20, the under 23 and a senior women. What is
:01:18. > :01:22.refreshing this year is we have the strongest team we have had for a
:01:23. > :01:25.good few years, in the senior men's team read by Callum Hawkins and Andy
:01:26. > :01:30.Butchart coming off the back of a great summer for both of them.
:01:31. > :01:34.Exciting to see them going in so strong. Great Britain have enjoyed a
:01:35. > :01:38.lot of success in this event over the years, in fact last year topping
:01:39. > :01:43.the medal table for the 13th year in a row.
:01:44. > :01:50.Lots of prospects for British medals.
:01:51. > :02:02.It's going to be a silver medal for Harriet Knowles-Jones. Taking the
:02:03. > :02:07.silver medal. Very successful day once more for Great Britain.
:02:08. > :02:13.Jonathan Davies takes the gold medal for Great Britain.
:02:14. > :02:21.This years event is in Chia on the Italian island of Sardinia. Men's
:02:22. > :02:24.and women's races over various distances, for junior, and 23 and
:02:25. > :02:31.the seniors with two medals up for grabs. The courses pretty flat and
:02:32. > :02:34.fast, a couple of man-made obstacles, nothing much to trouble
:02:35. > :02:59.the athletes. Here are some people hoping to do well.
:03:00. > :03:05.Time for the senior men's race, with the conditions being so warm and
:03:06. > :03:11.sunny we can expect a really fast race. The British team with the team
:03:12. > :03:18.captain Andy Butchart, great character. Callum Hawkins as well,
:03:19. > :03:25.they have been training, Andy Butchart ran away with the trials.
:03:26. > :03:38.Andy Vernon, Ross Millington behind. Debbie Griffiths. Very strong team.
:03:39. > :03:40.The Great North Run a couple of years ago, almost gave Mo Farah
:03:41. > :03:56.affright. Senior men under way. As ever the
:03:57. > :04:00.cavalry charge of the first 100 metres, never ceases to amaze me
:04:01. > :04:04.that everyone seems to want to join in but it's a flat and fast course,
:04:05. > :04:11.really good conditions, summer weather in Sardinia and Andy
:04:12. > :04:17.Butchart, well to the four already, what I year he has had in 2016,
:04:18. > :04:22.everyone hoping, particularly he is, that he can continue it. Callum
:04:23. > :04:26.Hawkins already up there as well. There will be a real challenge from
:04:27. > :04:43.Turkey, former Kenyan is running for them, particularly Meryem
:04:44. > :04:51.Great Britain looking to the leaders, then looking for the likes
:04:52. > :04:58.of Andy Vernon who will always run well in this race, always produces a
:04:59. > :05:07.good, strong performance. This is a fast start, fast running. These two
:05:08. > :05:10.short laps completed and out on the big labs now. Grabbing it by the
:05:11. > :05:15.scruff of the neck. I don't think they have done too much together in
:05:16. > :05:21.terms of training. But they are well prepared. They had a good tussle at
:05:22. > :05:25.the trials. Callum did exactly this, went out hard but Andy Butchart a
:05:26. > :05:32.comfortable winner in the end. Interesting to see how this pans
:05:33. > :05:36.out. They are both very different, very different personalities and how
:05:37. > :05:40.they will attack the training and racing, even the styles are
:05:41. > :05:45.different. Callum Hawkins, you can see how well-suited he is the
:05:46. > :05:53.marathon running, very economical, contrast that with Andy Butchart's
:05:54. > :05:57.he almost bounces. It's all so very economical and service really well.
:05:58. > :06:00.I think on ground like this it can be an advantage because you're not
:06:01. > :06:06.putting too much of your foot to risk turning the ankle on some of
:06:07. > :06:10.the lumps in the course. I don't know if I would rather see them
:06:11. > :06:14.sitting back or is it good to see them taking it to the Turkish
:06:15. > :06:16.athletes and trying to seize control? Certainly they are not
:06:17. > :06:22.letting themselves be dominated in any way in this early stage. Andy
:06:23. > :06:26.Vernon leading the chasing group which is good from a British
:06:27. > :06:36.perspective. They are all not too far. From a team race they are
:06:37. > :06:43.following suit, started aggressively, so far so good. Callum
:06:44. > :06:46.Hawkins just starting to get dropped, Andy Vernon dropping back a
:06:47. > :06:50.little bit in the group he was controlling as well so he needs to
:06:51. > :06:59.keep working but a great run from the Griffiths backed up right behind
:07:00. > :07:07.him by Conner. He was in 17th at the last count but it's the Spanish
:07:08. > :07:15.athletes ahead of Andy Vernon, he was ahead of them. He has to try to
:07:16. > :07:27.work with them, stay with that group. Callum Hawkins back on the
:07:28. > :07:36.back here, back in touch. I am going to go on and on about this transfer
:07:37. > :07:48.of allegiance, we have Aras Kaya, he ran in the steeplechase.
:07:49. > :08:03.The sport,, it is not need to see what name you should have, but Aras
:08:04. > :08:06.Kaya, steeplechaser now running and running well, only got his
:08:07. > :08:11.allegiance in June this year, not long before the championships. He
:08:12. > :08:17.went to the Olympics but did not make it out of his heats. He is
:08:18. > :08:26.running and controlling it with Arikan at the minute. One of the
:08:27. > :08:37.Spaniards moving through. He went off hard so he might drop. Callum
:08:38. > :08:40.Hawkins going to the front. Fortunes have switched between Andrew
:08:41. > :08:46.Butchart and Callum Hawkins, Callum Hawkins turning the screw and asking
:08:47. > :08:51.questions of the Turkish athletes and Andy Butchart who is struggling
:08:52. > :08:58.to keep focus, it's a bit over distance for him. It's not the same
:08:59. > :09:02.as a 10,000 metres or 10K on the road. When he has predominantly
:09:03. > :09:08.raced over 5000 metres it's a bit of a step up in terms of endurance
:09:09. > :09:15.Callum Hawkins will have the edge but if he can stay in contact Andy
:09:16. > :09:20.Butchart has the edge. This is interesting, in the trial at
:09:21. > :09:24.Liverpool, once it settled down, Callum Hawkins try to run hard from
:09:25. > :09:30.the front. Andy was able to move away with ease almost. I just wonder
:09:31. > :09:33.today if he got carried away a little bit, this is probably the
:09:34. > :09:40.first time he has gone to an event with everyone looking at him,
:09:41. > :09:44.everyone asking what he has got. I just wonder, we both raised a bit of
:09:45. > :09:49.an eyebrow as we see the team standings, much closer between Great
:09:50. > :09:54.Britain and Spain. We thought it was fast and Callum now it has settled
:09:55. > :09:58.down, his endurance coming through, Andy Butchart looking behind
:09:59. > :10:02.already, they are well ahead, but it's going to be a long slog in the
:10:03. > :10:11.lonely fourth place for him. Really interesting shift of hierarchy if
:10:12. > :10:15.you like, the marathon runner against the track runner and at the
:10:16. > :10:25.moment the marathon runner looking better. Is it a good time that he is
:10:26. > :10:40.looking tired and moving back, Mechaal?
:10:41. > :10:47.Let's hope Andy can compose himself, he's a very tough and brave runner,
:10:48. > :10:50.we have seen him look in trouble in races on the track and then be able
:10:51. > :10:56.to find something more and fight back but he's in no man's land. It's
:10:57. > :11:03.much easier for Callum with the other runners behind him. All three
:11:04. > :11:08.men in Rio, Callum Hawkins in the marathon, and Aras Kaya in the
:11:09. > :11:11.steeplechase, that is what Cross country does, brings together all
:11:12. > :11:15.the disciplines. It's a shame that the world Cross country has been
:11:16. > :11:22.affected so much partly by the transfer of allegiance rules which
:11:23. > :11:26.are so lax and allow lots of Kenyans and Eritreans to run for other
:11:27. > :11:29.countries and make it difficult for European teams and European
:11:30. > :11:34.individual athletes to contest and figure in a way they used to. Nobody
:11:35. > :11:38.minds getting beaten by a good Kenyan but when you are racing
:11:39. > :11:41.against 15 or 20 of them because they represent different countries
:11:42. > :11:46.that cannot be a good thing for a cross-country as a sport. It's
:11:47. > :11:49.something we keep going on about but it's because we love cross-country
:11:50. > :11:53.running and at this level something needs to be done about that rule in
:11:54. > :11:57.particular because it's the single biggest reason I think quite a lot
:11:58. > :12:03.of the European and other countries have decided not to contest. Look
:12:04. > :12:07.here, Great Britain, it is great when your team wins, you get an
:12:08. > :12:13.individual medal, fighting hard further down the field to win a
:12:14. > :12:17.medal but they cannot that here. Callum Hawkins in a lonely third
:12:18. > :12:22.spot, the two Turkish athletes moving away from him, Andy Butchart
:12:23. > :12:27.his team-mate behind him in fourth. A brave effort from Callum Hawkins,
:12:28. > :12:32.led at first by Andy Butchart, but he picked up the mantle of trying to
:12:33. > :12:35.take the race to the Kenyan Turkish athletes and these two are well
:12:36. > :12:43.ahead of the rest of the European team. Andy Vernon leading the
:12:44. > :12:47.Spanish men, that will be a crucial battle as far as the team race is
:12:48. > :12:52.concerned. We have three British athletes before the first Spanish
:12:53. > :13:00.athlete but the Spanish have four together. Whether it is Griffiths or
:13:01. > :13:07.Connor, the fourth British man will be crucial. There is Ben Connor.
:13:08. > :13:17.It's hard to see him picking up a couple places isn't it? But... I
:13:18. > :13:22.cannot see much change in with the top five, certainly. Then it's all
:13:23. > :13:26.about those places in the last lap. Spain with four men between Andy
:13:27. > :13:30.Vernon and the next counter for Great Britain. These are the team
:13:31. > :13:35.standings at the beginning of the last lap, just five points between
:13:36. > :13:41.Spain, Turkey improving all the time. All to play for on the last
:13:42. > :13:48.lap. Callum Hawkins guard, Andy Butchart tiring in fourth place.
:13:49. > :13:57.Could come under pressure from Carvalho. Decent cushion to the
:13:58. > :14:03.Frenchman. That looks more than enough for even an tiring Andy
:14:04. > :14:08.Butchart to hold onto. In fact, where has he gone? Andy Vernon
:14:09. > :14:15.moving into fifth place in fact. Look at Andy Vernon, strong as ever.
:14:16. > :14:18.Had a good run here last year, Andy Vernon, the last British athlete to
:14:19. > :14:24.get a medal in these championships in the senior men forging on. If he
:14:25. > :14:31.can finish ahead of the Spanish athletes it will do the team cause
:14:32. > :14:37.an awful lot of good. But at the front a bit of a surprise because
:14:38. > :14:41.it's Aras Kaya, the steeplechaser, former Kenyan now running for
:14:42. > :14:46.Turkey. Only given clearance to run for them this July. The Turkish flag
:14:47. > :14:54.waving, it's going to be a 1- to for them. Polat Kemboi Arikan who won
:14:55. > :15:01.this race two years ago, this time he has to play second fiddle to Aras
:15:02. > :15:04.Kaya who takes the gold medal for Turkey and is the European Cross
:15:05. > :15:11.Country Championships to our wonderful and brilliant strong,
:15:12. > :15:16.brave bronze medal for Callum Hawkins who finishes top Brit. He
:15:17. > :15:28.and Andy Butchart, the two Scots attacked hard from the beginning.
:15:29. > :15:34.Andy, fourth place, Pete Hawkins in the trials. And the timing his
:15:35. > :15:40.efforts supremely well. In issuing in fifth place. That will be an
:15:41. > :15:46.anxious wait for the three reddish men as they turn around to see who
:15:47. > :15:54.will cross the line. Where is Connor, Griffiths... Three Spanish
:15:55. > :15:58.athletes coming in. It will come down to 1-2 points in the end, Great
:15:59. > :16:06.Britain leading the team race at the start of the last lap, Salami got
:16:07. > :16:14.ahead of Connor. Gritting his teeth. Making sure no one comes past him.
:16:15. > :16:18.Connor may well have given written a good chance of the gold medal.
:16:19. > :16:29.Griffiths coming in just a couple of places behind. One very tired
:16:30. > :16:39.athletes. That was Kabbalah who dropped back. It is a Turkish number
:16:40. > :16:46.one and two, Kaya winning ahead of Arakan. A surprise, Hawkins taking
:16:47. > :16:48.the bronze medal at ahead of Andy Butchart and Andy Vernon. Connor,
:16:49. > :16:57.good performance finishing 16th. Great Britain looking like they will
:16:58. > :17:03.be confirmed as the gold-medallists in the team race. Close in the end.
:17:04. > :17:08.At surge from Andy Vernon in particular getting ahead of the
:17:09. > :17:12.Spanish athletes making it a four point victory for Great Britain and
:17:13. > :17:22.Northern Ireland. Turkey improving dramatically to get the bronze.
:17:23. > :17:35.Ready to go, the senior women under way. A test of eight kilometres.
:17:36. > :17:39.Flat and fast. Great Britain will be hoping that today, individually and
:17:40. > :17:45.in the team race, they can perform well. I think the team is a very
:17:46. > :17:49.good team. A lot of people said at the trials it wasn't perhaps the
:17:50. > :17:52.strongest but look at the experience, that may well be the
:17:53. > :17:58.case but given the standard of the field, they have every opportunity.
:17:59. > :18:09.With the experience of Steph Twell and Gemma Steel, one or two others
:18:10. > :18:14.are hoping to back them up. No real out and out favourites in this race.
:18:15. > :18:26.Finola MacCormack from Ireland well to the fore. The Turks will
:18:27. > :18:38.definitely be a danger. Can. Grovdal of Norway well to the fore. Bobocel
:18:39. > :18:51.from Romania settling down. Got out well. The two former Kenyan
:18:52. > :18:54.athletes, running for a turkey information, almost. I think, a
:18:55. > :19:01.second remaining athlete moving up, packing well at this stage. They had
:19:02. > :19:07.that little short lap, 500 metres. Onto the long lap, round about 1500
:19:08. > :19:16.metres, five long laps ahead of them. The Brits, a little further
:19:17. > :19:22.back. Two Turkish athletes. They are at the front. Have decided not to
:19:23. > :19:27.hang around too much. Well spread out. You can see Gemma Steel and
:19:28. > :19:31.Steph Twell perhaps being caught out a little bit in the sense that they
:19:32. > :19:36.sat back and are trying to move through fairly quickly, they are
:19:37. > :19:49.running together. Pippa Woolven and Katrina Wootton, married recently.
:19:50. > :20:03.That is going to be crucial. The Turkish runners set out with real
:20:04. > :20:16.intent. This is a familiar, I don't know... The former Kenyan athlete,
:20:17. > :20:22.closest to the camera, only giving Kieran Steer run for Turkey in
:20:23. > :20:27.March. The IAAF have had other sorts of things to do with but they have
:20:28. > :20:30.to get a grasp on this change of allegiance scenario which is still
:20:31. > :20:36.going on. And I know the rules are the rules, we have had people change
:20:37. > :20:40.allegiance to Great Britain but when people move and live in a country,
:20:41. > :20:43.we have got people who have done not but when you do that and you are
:20:44. > :20:51.still spending all your time in your former country, as one or two of
:20:52. > :20:56.these do, to use an example, let's try and construct the race little
:20:57. > :21:00.bit. MacCormack, Grovdal, Twell making her way through. Gemma Steel
:21:01. > :21:09.having a much better run. Then I think it's about Walden coming
:21:10. > :21:14.through. The one going not quite so well, a really good trial race,
:21:15. > :21:28.Charlotte Arter. She was really good in the trial.
:21:29. > :21:41.Here is the battle for third. Finola had a big win recently. Beaten
:21:42. > :21:45.12-macro Ethiopians and runners from Kenny, doesn't look like she will be
:21:46. > :21:51.able to take on these two today. There she is, Grovdal behind her,
:21:52. > :21:54.with another good year. It's good when you watch young athletes, as
:21:55. > :22:00.juniors, progress and keep progressing, keep getting better.
:22:01. > :22:04.She picked up a medal in the European 10,000 metre Championships
:22:05. > :22:06.last year. But she is gradually moving up to the longer distances
:22:07. > :22:18.and things as well, the half marathon. Contesting that bronze
:22:19. > :22:29.medal behind these two. Can, Akda, well ahead. Forcing the pace. Steph
:22:30. > :22:36.Twell in that little group, Bobocel still in there, doing well. Finola
:22:37. > :22:39.MacCormack of Ireland leading the chase group. Grovdal from Norway,
:22:40. > :22:42.Steph Twell looking strong. Working hard to stay with them. Bobocel
:22:43. > :22:48.happy to let others do the work. The gap looks as though it might
:22:49. > :23:02.increase. The European 5000 and 10,000 metre
:23:03. > :23:07.champion from Turkey in the lead at the moment. From her team-mate whose
:23:08. > :23:11.trying to hang onto her as much as she can. Ireland doing well,
:23:12. > :23:17.McGeehan, the 1500 metres specialist moving well through the field. Great
:23:18. > :23:22.Britain keeping Turkey inside but it will come down to the battle is a
:23:23. > :23:28.little bit further down the field. On that lap, Kaya moving up to 16th,
:23:29. > :23:37.up there with Pippa Woolven. Britain could do with Wootton and
:23:38. > :23:59.Wilson working together. A lot of good athletes on the field.
:24:00. > :24:03.MacCormack who was at the front of the group, now Bobocel who's gone
:24:04. > :24:07.back and trying to ask questions of the three others in the group and
:24:08. > :24:12.see if she can get rid of one of those. Is it Finola struggling to
:24:13. > :24:15.hang on or is it because she was moving wide to find better ground?
:24:16. > :24:19.No doubt about the leader, contributing moving her way from her
:24:20. > :24:25.compatriot, whichever way you look at it and opening up the gap. Actor
:24:26. > :24:31.starting to fatigue, I don't think she's ever in any danger of being
:24:32. > :24:41.caught by the group behind her, but the gap consistently growing. Here
:24:42. > :24:46.it is. A real scrap. Good names, good athletes on the track. And I
:24:47. > :24:51.think Finola particularly is thinking, I have got to shake off
:24:52. > :24:56.and put my foot down and try and shake the soft. She is no slouch at
:24:57. > :25:02.the end, she will fight hard. But she will be worried about the
:25:03. > :25:09.closing speed all of one or two of the others. It shows the key point,
:25:10. > :25:16.the key interest of cross country and it's bringing together the
:25:17. > :25:22.distances. Finola moving up to the marathon but known for her Cross
:25:23. > :25:25.Country pedigree, Steph went to the Olympic Games, world junior champion
:25:26. > :25:31.over 1500 metres and battling it out, still all to play for in the
:25:32. > :25:40.closing stages. Gemma Steel, moving well, Katrina Wootton behind her.
:25:41. > :25:47.You have Pippa Woolven there, Kaya from Turkey in between them, but
:25:48. > :25:53.that was 16th, Katrina 14th, they have Kaya between them, also where
:25:54. > :25:58.Steph Twell finishes in this group, eight points behind Turkey. We
:25:59. > :26:05.entered the closing stages. No doubt about the gold-medallist. Can, right
:26:06. > :26:12.out in front. The battle for the bronze medal is on. Those four
:26:13. > :26:18.locked together. Gemma Steel trying to give chase a little further back
:26:19. > :26:22.but gaps behind these four and with Turkey in positions number one and
:26:23. > :26:27.two, cubicle. Grovdal trying to break this group up, a big surge
:26:28. > :26:33.from the Norwegian. Steph Twell not quite able to respond. Grovdal
:26:34. > :26:37.making her first real bid out of that group for the bronze medal. And
:26:38. > :26:46.it's a significant one. Steph Twell trying to hang on. Look at this from
:26:47. > :26:51.Grovdal. I think what we are seeing from her at this year is a renewed
:26:52. > :26:57.confidence. Maybe she has kicked a little bit too early but I think
:26:58. > :27:01.she's timed it right, a strength she hasn't had in previous years as
:27:02. > :27:03.she's grown older and worked on her strength and that's what's helping
:27:04. > :27:11.her over the closing stages but no doubt about the winner. She won two
:27:12. > :27:14.titles on the track at 5000 and 10,000 metres, the first time she
:27:15. > :27:19.worry best for Turkey and now she is the European cross-country champion,
:27:20. > :27:23.she and her team-mate will come through to take the silver medal.
:27:24. > :27:30.These two a long way ahead of the rest of the European field. The two
:27:31. > :27:36.former Kenyan athletes now running for Turkey. They will look to see
:27:37. > :27:38.where their team-mates finished, a real good scrap going on for the
:27:39. > :27:49.bronze medals at crocodile from Norway wins. -- Grovdal. A good
:27:50. > :27:53.performance from her. Bobocel coming very quickly but not quick enough,
:27:54. > :27:57.the remaining taking fourth. Fionnuala McCormack from Ireland,
:27:58. > :28:03.Steph Twell hanging on and keeping going.
:28:04. > :28:14.Good performance, great to see her continuing on her comeback trail.
:28:15. > :28:23.Steph Twell six, Gemma Steel we are expecting. Lost a couple of places.
:28:24. > :28:30.The remaining going past. Gemma Steel will come, I think that's 11th
:28:31. > :28:34.or 12th. Tricky take the gold and silver. Good performance from Steph
:28:35. > :28:51.Twell. Sixth place. Not quite good enough to take the
:28:52. > :28:56.team gold medal, and that goes to Turkey.
:28:57. > :29:05.The defending champion in this under 23 race is Great Britain's Jonathan
:29:06. > :29:08.Davies and he leads a team that is a little bit inexperienced in this
:29:09. > :29:12.meant's team, the best way of describing it. Be interesting to see
:29:13. > :29:18.how they go, I guess the news in this race is that the prerace
:29:19. > :29:24.favourite, or would have been, is a Turkish transferee who won the
:29:25. > :29:28.senior race last year, meant to be dropping back into the under 23
:29:29. > :29:35.ranks but we are told he has been injured. I think that leaves the
:29:36. > :29:41.race open. The meant's under 23 is under way. Just over eight
:29:42. > :29:48.kilometres. They will do a short lap and five longer labs. And Great
:29:49. > :29:50.Britain with high hopes. Jonathan Davies the defending champion. The
:29:51. > :29:59.top three from last year all in this, he had a great scrap with the
:30:00. > :30:03.Spanish runner. Plenty of time for the athletes to move through. Alex
:30:04. > :30:16.George with the headband wearing number 100.
:30:17. > :30:23.Baz, I wouldn't imagine, going to remain in that position. They are
:30:24. > :30:30.flying over the top. Decided to not put their foot down. The spikes just
:30:31. > :30:35.not quite finding the grass. And he just stepped forward and lost his
:30:36. > :30:42.balance. Still early stages. Very early. Alex George running well.
:30:43. > :30:53.A bit of a gap between Alex George and the leading group, and oddly
:30:54. > :30:58.enough, the Turkish athlete is drifting back. Jonny Davies getting
:30:59. > :31:06.closer to the front of the pack. There is a good illustration, Ellis
:31:07. > :31:10.Cross, a group ahead of him off five or six athletes, it'd be great if he
:31:11. > :31:17.could get into the pack and picked off one or two. That's exactly what
:31:18. > :31:23.you want, your fourth counter advancing further down the race.
:31:24. > :31:26.Picking up places. Jonny Davies leading, and the men behind him in
:31:27. > :31:34.contention for the gold medal in the team race. Trying to keep the pace
:31:35. > :31:38.moving, where he has succeeded in getting Ramos to drop off the back
:31:39. > :31:42.of the pack without intentionally turning the screw too much, he won't
:31:43. > :31:47.want the group behind to close down too much, but he has to be aware of
:31:48. > :31:52.what he wants to keep in his legs in terms of strength to be able to
:31:53. > :31:57.cover moves, to be able to make a strong move of his own when he's
:31:58. > :32:02.ready do that. I think the longer this place allows Yemanberhan Crippa
:32:03. > :32:07.to still be involved it is dangerous. I think he can burn it up
:32:08. > :32:11.at the end. He's been hanging on for a while but will be growing in his
:32:12. > :32:17.own confidence for a while, the Italian at the back, two-time winner
:32:18. > :32:22.of the junior title. You will start to feel confidence growing as they
:32:23. > :32:27.enter the last lap. Two many people for comfort, too many and with a
:32:28. > :32:32.chance. Solomon, the surprise package from Sweden pushing on. He
:32:33. > :32:39.heard the bell and made a strong move, caught some of them out a
:32:40. > :32:44.little. Jonny Davies struggled to be able to go with it, he is gathering
:32:45. > :32:48.himself now. It's broken up the pack. I think some of them were not
:32:49. > :32:57.expecting the move to come so early going into the last lap. Solomon
:32:58. > :33:01.made a bad mistake coming over the bump, I don't know if he caught his
:33:02. > :33:06.foot at the top but he stumbled and almost fell. Recovered his balance
:33:07. > :33:14.but allowed Issac Kimeli to get to the front. Now he is the one turning
:33:15. > :33:18.the screw a bit more. They are all aware that Yemanberhan Crippa is
:33:19. > :33:22.still there. They are kicking hard, they can see the finish line, Issac
:33:23. > :33:29.Kimeli 's who are so many times we've expected to do well, the
:33:30. > :33:33.Belgian with a great turn of pace moving away, it's an LA kick for
:33:34. > :33:38.home from him and he still has running to do. Carlos Mayo trying to
:33:39. > :33:41.chase down, the Spaniard took silver last year and it looks like he's
:33:42. > :33:45.getting it again this time. It's going to be Issac Kimeli from
:33:46. > :33:51.Belgium. The European silver-medallist on the track at
:33:52. > :33:57.5000 metres in 2015 is going to take gold at the European Cross Country
:33:58. > :34:01.Championships in the under 23 race. Carlos Mayo, another silver medal,
:34:02. > :34:10.Yemanberhan Crippa, good move up the under 23 takes bronze. Jonny Davies
:34:11. > :34:17.in theft, good defence for him. Solomon sixth, then Ramos. Great
:34:18. > :34:23.Britain will be hoping, as we see Alex George coming in, losing a few
:34:24. > :34:29.places to a play which will mean Italy will take the team race. The
:34:30. > :34:33.question of whether or not Great Britain can take the silver. Alex
:34:34. > :34:40.George across the line. Looks as though the next counter for Great
:34:41. > :34:44.Britain will be Ellis Cross. The question is who will be the fourth.
:34:45. > :34:51.Is it going to be Alex Short? I think so. It will be tight, I think
:34:52. > :34:58.we have got a team medal, but whether or not it is silver or
:34:59. > :35:03.bronze that will get sorted out. Alex Short 20 Fifth Place, the
:35:04. > :35:08.fourth counter. Confirmation of the win. That will be celebrated back
:35:09. > :35:19.home I am pretty sure. Alex George and Ellis Cross running
:35:20. > :35:24.well. Ellis Cross in particular coming through the field very strong
:35:25. > :35:34.way in the latter stages. Alex Short in 25th to be Britain's fourth
:35:35. > :35:40.counter. Italy finishing strongly. Belgium the surprise silver. Great
:35:41. > :35:46.Britain and Northern Ireland with bronze.
:35:47. > :35:55.The British team, Rebecca Murray, Jessica Judd is really starting to
:35:56. > :36:00.come back into good form, good to see her full of smiles, that is a
:36:01. > :36:05.strong British contingent. Alice Wright at the back, based in the
:36:06. > :36:14.States. The under 23 women's race gets underway. Just over six
:36:15. > :36:17.kilometres. Four collapse. Great Britain with high hopes both
:36:18. > :36:26.individually and certainly in the team race -- four lapse. I'm
:36:27. > :36:32.intrigued to see if Jessica Judd and Rebecca Murray can figure
:36:33. > :36:44.individually. Sofia Ennaoui Poland is a familiar name, track will
:36:45. > :36:50.recognise. Lots to look forward to. Settling down, not to quit at the
:36:51. > :37:01.beginning. Anna Gehring on the inside. The British pack deciding
:37:02. > :37:06.not to set off too quickly. Rebecca Murray weaving through the field,
:37:07. > :37:12.Jessica Judd still right up there, Alice Wright very committed in these
:37:13. > :37:18.early stages, right up there, contesting the lead. Charlotte
:37:19. > :37:20.Taylor on the left-hand side. Also very close indeed. Good performance
:37:21. > :37:40.from her at the moment. Four laps. Watching Jessica Judd going
:37:41. > :37:44.over the hay bale, she has the longest legs and maybe struggled the
:37:45. > :37:48.most going over, she was not comfortable over the bumps either.
:37:49. > :37:53.Those humps are bonds in the course are more suited to the smaller
:37:54. > :37:59.athletes who are almost able to jump over and skip up and down the other
:38:00. > :38:01.side, the likes of Alice Wright and Sofia Ennaoui, for the toll the
:38:02. > :38:08.runners the stride pattern does not always fit into the gap. Alice
:38:09. > :38:12.Wright looking good, Charlotte Taylor well to the fore, Sofia
:38:13. > :38:18.Ennaoui the prerace favourite in the white and red shorts of Poland.
:38:19. > :38:26.Jessica Judd not too far away. Great Britain looking in excellent
:38:27. > :38:33.position for the team race. The Germans also in there, including
:38:34. > :38:48.Anna Gehring. They have completely two laps. Pack of nine or ten.
:38:49. > :38:59.Jessica Judd a little bit of a gap if you like. So it's Alice Wright,
:39:00. > :39:03.Charlotte Taylor contesting the lead with Sofia Ennaoui and Anna Gehring,
:39:04. > :39:08.Sofia Ennaoui the prerace favourite looks comfortable but this is strong
:39:09. > :39:11.running from the American -based British athletes. Rebecca Murray
:39:12. > :39:21.leading the chasing pack in fifth at the moment but a good 25 metres
:39:22. > :39:26.behind this lead four. Anna Gehring having a very good performance, as
:39:27. > :39:30.is Sofia Ennaoui, Alice Wright working hard, look at Rebecca
:39:31. > :39:34.Murray, moving away, you feel as though there is more to come for her
:39:35. > :39:38.in this race if she can just keep in contact with them and then maybe in
:39:39. > :39:44.the last lap see if she can run some of them down. Two British athletes
:39:45. > :39:49.in that group already. The British athletes under pressure now as they
:39:50. > :39:55.enter the last lap in third and fourth. Charlotte Taylor moving
:39:56. > :40:00.ahead of team-mate, she beat Alice Wright in the cross country in the
:40:01. > :40:07.States in early November. The NCAA event. Maybe that's a good indicator
:40:08. > :40:11.of form. She moves into the bronze medal place. I think she moved
:40:12. > :40:15.slightly ahead of Alice Wright but what Alice needs to do is maintain
:40:16. > :40:22.contact and of the British girls can work together it might be one of
:40:23. > :40:25.them in front tyres. Sofia Ennaoui looks like she's rocking a lot more
:40:26. > :40:29.than she was in the early stages, some of that is the ponytail she has
:40:30. > :40:36.behind her which makes it look worse than it is, but in her face as well,
:40:37. > :40:40.she's trying to get alongside Anna Gehring to let her know she is still
:40:41. > :40:45.there but Anna Gehring is making her heart and you can see it on her
:40:46. > :40:48.face. The British athletes, Charlotte Taylor with the four or
:40:49. > :40:53.five-metre gap on her team-mate Alice Wright, third and fourth.
:40:54. > :41:00.Rebecca Murray in sixth place at the minute. Jessica Judd the fourth
:41:01. > :41:11.counter for Great Britain. I think we will be OK. A real scrap going on
:41:12. > :41:16.for the bronze medal. Alice Wright has managed in the closing stages to
:41:17. > :41:21.find something a bit extra to get ahead of her team-mate. But it's not
:41:22. > :41:32.over yet. Does Sofia Ennaoui have enough in the tank, can she muster a
:41:33. > :41:35.bit of us as Sprint? She is gathering a little, she will have
:41:36. > :41:40.walked the course, they all will have, they will know the twists and
:41:41. > :41:43.turns into the finish but has Sofia Ennaoui saved enough to be able to
:41:44. > :41:52.come back in the closing straight and what's going to happen for the
:41:53. > :41:54.bronze? Granz having a look behind, some tired athletes including
:41:55. > :42:02.Jessica Judd but this is the battle for gold. Sofia Ennaoui is the first
:42:03. > :42:07.to strike, she can see the finish line and no response from the
:42:08. > :42:10.German, Sofia Ennaoui takes a look behind, the prerace favourite has a
:42:11. > :42:14.ten-metre lead and the track speed is too much for the German, Sofia
:42:15. > :42:21.Ennaoui of Poland takes the gold medal in the under 23 race. Bright
:42:22. > :42:25.performance from Anna Gehring, a surprise silver medal for her and it
:42:26. > :42:29.will be Alice Wright leading Great Britain, she will get an individual
:42:30. > :42:32.bronze medal ahead of her team-mate Charlotte Taylor, great performance
:42:33. > :42:38.from Alice Wright. They are both based in America, great addition to
:42:39. > :42:44.the team, takes the bronze medal ahead of Taylor in fourth.
:42:45. > :42:52.Sofia Ennaoui of Poland sprinting to the title. Brilliant performance
:42:53. > :43:01.from Alice Wright to take the bronze medal ahead of Charlotte Taylor.
:43:02. > :43:05.Jessica Judd the fourth counter. It confirms the position as champions,
:43:06. > :43:10.Great Britain on top once more in an event they have dominated over the
:43:11. > :43:18.years, the last ten years. Germany doing well and Italy taking the
:43:19. > :43:23.bronze. STUDIO: Two more races to come but later tonight highlights of
:43:24. > :43:25.the Premier League football. And on Tuesday you can see the Super League
:43:26. > :43:42.show review of the 2016 season. COMMENTATOR: The under 20 women,
:43:43. > :43:53.short lap of 500 metres they will go around now and then a long lap of
:43:54. > :43:58.around 1500 metres, two short laps and it's not that far so the real
:43:59. > :44:04.mix of good track athletes, those who are better on cross country as
:44:05. > :44:08.well, tends to be, a junior women level they are good at both.
:44:09. > :44:14.Konstanze Klosterhalfen right up the front. The British women, right up
:44:15. > :44:17.there from the beginning, packing well. You have to get out there,
:44:18. > :44:22.this sort of distance you cannot hang around and think I will work my
:44:23. > :44:29.way through, it's too short and quick. Absolutely, especially on a
:44:30. > :44:33.course as twisty as this one, you have to get out hard and get
:44:34. > :44:36.yourself well placed in the early stages because this is not a race
:44:37. > :44:41.which will slow down or settle at any point. The main contenders we
:44:42. > :44:46.expected to be up there, like Konstanze Klosterhalfen, immediately
:44:47. > :44:48.to the front, backed up by her German team-mates. Harriet
:44:49. > :44:51.Knowles-Jones well placed on the inside and keeping an eye on where
:44:52. > :45:01.she knows the main danger will come from.
:45:02. > :45:07.She's not a hanging around. She's not waiting. Harriet Knowles-Jones
:45:08. > :45:09.moving into second place. The rest of the British contingent doing
:45:10. > :45:23.well. Great Britain looking good. They clearly do, the winner last
:45:24. > :45:29.year, defending her title, looks as though she's heading off towards
:45:30. > :45:32.that gold-medal, a scrap going on behind Harriet Knowles-Jones, still
:45:33. > :45:40.in second place. The rest of the British pack, Quirk, having a great
:45:41. > :45:50.race, 17 years old, will be one of the counters. Silver for
:45:51. > :45:58.Knowles-Jones last year. Great Britain leading the team race. You
:45:59. > :46:06.can see confirmation, Victoria Wear and Quirk in 10th place. Phoebe Law
:46:07. > :46:12.is the fifth counter. The top four well up there, Britain looking safe.
:46:13. > :46:15.Good scrap for second place, Harriet Knowles-Jones looks as though she's
:46:16. > :46:21.struggling a little bit to hang onto Moller. A big gap to Harriet
:46:22. > :46:25.Knowles-Jones, whether at the two of them think they have a chance of
:46:26. > :46:33.closing the gap but can Harriet Knowles-Jones hang on? She will have
:46:34. > :46:37.to. There is the leader heading towards her second European
:46:38. > :46:42.cross-country junior title. She has that action on Cross Country, no big
:46:43. > :46:49.knee lift anything, she is tall, long legs, a good action for Cross
:46:50. > :46:56.Country. It is, and potentially for the road, food, smooth, level
:46:57. > :47:01.action, starting to turn her ankle a couple of times and she's pulled it
:47:02. > :47:07.back. The girls will probably feedback that the route is testing.
:47:08. > :47:13.She decides to pop onto the turf carpet to put her arms aloft,
:47:14. > :47:20.Klosterhalfen defending her title supremely well, much more
:47:21. > :47:24.impressively than last year. This year, she wins it comfortably.
:47:25. > :47:28.Moller, big improvement for the Danish girl, Harriet Knowles-Jones
:47:29. > :47:35.needs to keep Owen, a bit of danger from behind. Very, very tired, just
:47:36. > :47:40.about going to hang on. Harriet Knowles-Jones adds a bronze medal to
:47:41. > :47:43.the silver medal last year, really good performance, we are watching
:47:44. > :47:52.for the rest of the British team. Looks like Amelia Klerk, 17 years
:47:53. > :47:56.old. -- Amelia Quirk. What a brilliant run from the youngster
:47:57. > :48:05.from Bracknell, the second counter. Victoria Wear is the third counter
:48:06. > :48:07.and Gemma Holloway, looking like she will cement the gold medal for Great
:48:08. > :48:11.Britain with her performance, coming in 11th.
:48:12. > :48:28.Some really good performances from Amelia Quirk, Gemma Holloway and
:48:29. > :48:29.Victoria Wear. Securing the team race. Great Britain and Northern
:48:30. > :48:39.Ireland with 33 points. The Dutch team taking the bronze
:48:40. > :48:49.medal, great performance from them, Ireland down in 10th.
:48:50. > :48:56.The under 20 men's race under way. Sprinting through the first couple
:48:57. > :49:01.of hundred metres. Straight out onto the big love for them, four the
:49:02. > :49:14.labs, six kilometres, it will settle down in a moment. -- big lap.
:49:15. > :49:21.Taking a little while to settle down, no big favourites, no wonder
:49:22. > :49:25.you can kind of go, that is the one to beat. Some interesting athletes,
:49:26. > :49:35.the Brits already moving to the front. This young man, saw him
:49:36. > :49:39.running superb times on the track, I think he's three minutes 42 for 1500
:49:40. > :49:44.metres which is even quicker than I ran in those days, looks like he's a
:49:45. > :49:47.better prospect than his brothers, running quicker than them. Setting
:49:48. > :49:53.the standard at the front very early. British guys trying to move
:49:54. > :50:02.their way through and give themselves a good position as things
:50:03. > :50:10.try to settle a little. Incredibly busy summer for Alex, mixing the
:50:11. > :50:18.bike and the running with great success, fabulous 2016. Recently
:50:19. > :50:23.named at the sports aid foundation awards for the one to watch from the
:50:24. > :50:27.future and got his award from Mo Farah.
:50:28. > :50:33.Going to be a bit of a tug-of-war between athletics and triathlon for
:50:34. > :50:40.his talents, for the time being managing to juggle them both very
:50:41. > :50:46.well. And he's been pushed and tripped, as we were talking about
:50:47. > :50:52.him and knocked again. Her lad! I hope we get a replay. Watch here.
:50:53. > :50:58.You go. Just got clipped by the Turk. And gets head again. As he is
:50:59. > :51:02.coming up, the Irish guy ran into him and put his knee into his
:51:03. > :51:05.backside and sent him headfirst down. We'll have knocked the wind
:51:06. > :51:11.out of him but hopefully not injuring him. We could do with some
:51:12. > :51:17.of the other guys getting to the front and trying to slow it down.
:51:18. > :51:19.They might have seen the team standings, very tight, four points
:51:20. > :51:28.separating France, Spain, Great Britain. Chiappinelli had a disaster
:51:29. > :51:37.in this race last year. A bad run but look at this. Muhammad Muhammad,
:51:38. > :51:42.about half way round deep and ultimate lap, when they complete
:51:43. > :51:49.this they will have another lap to go but look at Muhammad, is he
:51:50. > :51:59.closing the gap? He might be. Certainly increasing the gap hugely
:52:00. > :52:05.on the chasers behind him. We know Ingebrigsten will be a huge
:52:06. > :52:11.challenge. Still a fair bit of running to go. Japan-mac the in the
:52:12. > :52:19.lead, Muhammad in second place for Great Britain. -- Chiappinelli.
:52:20. > :52:28.Look at Ingebrigsten, 16 years old, from Norway, leading and his lead is
:52:29. > :52:36.growing. Powerful running. He led early on and he let Chiappinelli get
:52:37. > :52:40.away. The battle for sober and bronze is not over, Muhammad sensing
:52:41. > :52:45.he has a chance if he could raise a little bit of a sprint but here is
:52:46. > :52:51.the winner. -- battle for silver. The track specialist winning in the
:52:52. > :52:56.country, great performance. Chiappinelli, the prerace favourite
:52:57. > :53:02.taking the silver medal for Italy, a well-deserved bronze for Muhammad
:53:03. > :53:06.hammered. Great performance. -- Muhammad Muhammad.
:53:07. > :53:16.This is beginning to look like success for France in the team race,
:53:17. > :53:17.going to be tight. Alex Ye after having that unfortunate fall, not
:53:18. > :53:25.the race he wanted. Ingebrigsten, the winner, very
:53:26. > :53:41.tired, great performance from him. For Alex Ye, a case of what might
:53:42. > :53:44.have been after about four, finishing 11th. France winning the
:53:45. > :53:59.team race. Pretty comfortably. Another hugely successful day and
:54:00. > :54:04.Paula, no individual old medals, turkey did beat us this time, we are
:54:05. > :54:09.not top of the medal table at overall, fought were your thoughts?
:54:10. > :54:13.Pretty good day. Very good day, the highlight for me was seeing the
:54:14. > :54:17.senior men's team step up, when the championships and the manner in
:54:18. > :54:22.which they did it, Callum and Andy Butchart to get to the Turkish
:54:23. > :54:27.Kenyan is but they weren't intimidated. Not afraid to go out
:54:28. > :54:33.and give it their best. To try and beat them. That was the biggest
:54:34. > :54:41.takeaway, great to see Jessica Judd coming back, Steph Twell coming back
:54:42. > :54:43.and making her mark. But building forward, the encouraging thing was
:54:44. > :54:49.the consolidation and strength and depth on the men's side. On the
:54:50. > :54:54.wider context, in commentary be mentioned one of the issues that
:54:55. > :54:57.sport is facing but in cross country, the transfer of allegiance
:54:58. > :55:01.issue is one that will not go away and we saw it in evidence today. And
:55:02. > :55:06.that's something that needs to be looked at. It was key the IAAF got
:55:07. > :55:09.the reform process through last week to get the integrity unit
:55:10. > :55:13.established and working because one of the things they'll look at is the
:55:14. > :55:18.transfer of allegiance, to make sure we make things clear by people
:55:19. > :55:21.trying to spectate and watch and not have people jumping around with no
:55:22. > :55:26.real clear allegiance to the country. You mentioned the week that
:55:27. > :55:31.the IAAF went through the reform process or started it. How important
:55:32. > :55:36.was this week, you mentioned the integrity unit, new kind of
:55:37. > :55:42.governance rules that have been agreed, what is that going to mean
:55:43. > :55:45.for the sport? It was vital that we got the reforms through. Had they
:55:46. > :55:50.not, I think it would have been the final nail in the Coughlan for
:55:51. > :56:01.athletics moving forward. It needed to re-establish itself and establish
:56:02. > :56:05.its credibility. -- coffin. The executive board, the fact that
:56:06. > :56:09.things can be passed quicker, the integrity unit will take in-house,
:56:10. > :56:14.deal with sanctions and won't have the delays that we've seen. Just go
:56:15. > :56:17.a huge step forward in restoring athletes confidence that they are
:56:18. > :56:23.being looked after number one in this sport cos they are the number
:56:24. > :56:27.one and the IAAF as a federation should be looking after the rights
:56:28. > :56:31.of the athletes, primarily. Part of the process is the attitude to anti
:56:32. > :56:39.doping. The McLaren report, the second part of that this week, more
:56:40. > :56:43.damning evidence around Russia and what it's been doing in athletics
:56:44. > :56:49.and other sports. This stands the IAAF took a year ago, looks as if
:56:50. > :56:56.comparative of the IOC did, they now, I guess, can stand and say at
:56:57. > :57:01.least we made that stands. I think it vindicated the stands that
:57:02. > :57:04.athletics took and has shown with the mass of evidence, nothing new
:57:05. > :57:08.came out of the report, it was more the amounts of evidence and the
:57:09. > :57:14.scale of deception and fraud committed, I think that underlined
:57:15. > :57:18.the weakness of the position of the IOC last year and puts the onus on
:57:19. > :57:21.them, in order to restore credibility to the Olympic movement
:57:22. > :57:25.they have to make huge decisions going forward, in my opinion, any
:57:26. > :57:29.sporting championships shouldn't be going near Russia until they can
:57:30. > :57:33.prove they have turned things around. There are other countries
:57:34. > :57:37.that need to be looked at. A year of turmoil in athletics as well as in
:57:38. > :57:44.the wider sporting context but some good things for 2016. Yes, some good
:57:45. > :57:50.things that happened, the continuation, if you like, of the
:57:51. > :57:54.documents of Mo Farah and Usain Bolt in distance events but we saw new
:57:55. > :58:00.faces in the heptathlete, Laura Muir breaking through with world leading
:58:01. > :58:04.performances. All of that is good. Today, Andrew Butchart continuing
:58:05. > :58:09.bad step forward, Callum Hawkins, exciting for the future and looking
:58:10. > :58:13.to next year, sell-out stadiums in London, hopefully we'll have packed
:58:14. > :58:18.stadiums every day for morning and evening sessions and will talk about
:58:19. > :58:23.the arena instead of what's happening in the bureaucracy around
:58:24. > :58:28.it. As Paula said we can look forward to 2017 but this is the end
:58:29. > :58:32.of coverage for 2016. An awful lot to think about, remember, good and
:58:33. > :58:37.bad. That is the end of the coverage was of the European Cross country
:58:38. > :58:41.Championships. See you in 2017, lots to look forward to. From Paula and
:58:42. > :58:44.by self, goodbye and Merry Christmas!