Italy's Battocletti claims second European title, wins 10,000m race
Italian athlete Nadia Battocletti won the 10,000m race at the European Athletics Championships in Birmingham on Friday, repeating the 5,000m-10,000m double she achieved two years ago in Rome. Latvian athletes had a tougher day, as neither javelin thrower Anete Sietiņa nor pole vaulter Valters Kreišs made it through to the finals.
Italian runner Nadia Battocletti secured her second gold medal of the European Athletics Championships in Birmingham on Friday, winning the 10,000m race with a time of 31 minutes and 41.17 seconds.
The victory mirrored her achievement from two years earlier at the championships in Rome, where she also won both the 5,000m and 10,000m events. Once again, she claimed the shorter distance first before adding the longer one to her tally.
Second place in the 10,000m went to the Netherlands' Maureen Koster, who finished in 31 minutes and 45.76 seconds, while Belgium's race walker-turned-distance runner Jana Van Lent took third with a time of 31 minutes and 47.81 seconds.
Difficult day for Latvian athletes
Latvian javelin thrower Anete Sietiņa failed to advance to the main competition on Friday. Her throw of 56.24 metres placed her 13th among 29 competitors, just 66 centimetres short of the 12th-place mark that would have secured qualification.
Pole vaulter Valters Kreišs also failed to progress, clearing 5.45 metres for 17th place among 27 competitors.
Later on Friday evening, Latvia's Oskars Grava competed in the 200m final. Seven Latvian athletes are taking part in the championships overall, which began on Thursday — alongside those already mentioned, javelin throwers Patriks Gailums and Krišjānis Suntažs, marathon runner Raivo Saulgriezis, and Modra Liepiņa in the half-marathon walk. The Latvian delegation also includes several coaches and a physiotherapist.
The European Championships in Birmingham conclude on Sunday.
