December 2009
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‘Nine would be fine,' says eight-time Cross Country champion Lebid |
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14.10.2009 |
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Sergey Lebid of Ukraine crosses the
finish line to win
his eighth title at the 2008 SPAR European
Cross Country Championships in Brussels, Belgium.
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Sergey Lebid has confirmed that he will defend his SPAR European Cross Country Championships crown in Dublin, Ireland, on 13 December, aiming to win the title for the ninth time.
The Ukrainian won Europe's premier Cross Country competition for the first time in 1998. He was then victorious on five consecutive occasions between 2001 and 2005 before regaining the title in 2007 and taking his eighth gold medal last year in Brussels.
"I'm definitely aiming to defend my title in Dublin. Not only that, as many people know and it's almost as important for me, I'm the only person to have run in all 15 of the previous SPAR European Cross Country Championships," Lebid commented, speaking to www.european-athletics.org from Italy.
"I want to keep my streak in the championships going. Last year, I remember I said that I would have to have a broken leg not to be at the start. This year it might take something even more serious," he joked.
Once again, the SPAR European Cross Country Championships offers Lebid redemption for a track season that did not fulfil his expectations.
"I had some problems in June and July, nothing too serious but enough to mean that I wasn't fit enough to seriously think about going to the World Championships in Berlin. Yes, I did win my national championships in July over 5000m but it was outside 14 minutes.
"That just wasn't good enough. It was a similar story in 2008 regarding the Olympics but things came together in the autumn and winter and I believe they will do so again," he added.
He showed his rapidly improving fitness by finishing fourth in the historic Giro al Sas road race in the Italian town of Trento, which he often uses as his base when racing in southern and western Europe.
He covered the 10km course on Saturday night in 29.31, times kept down by wet weather in the final part of the race, and was the leading European home, just six seconds adrift of the winner, Kenya's 2008 Olympic 5000m medallist Edwin Soi.
Italy's Andrea Lalli, the 2008 SPAR European Cross Country Championships under-23 gold medallist, was sixth in 29.42.
Lebid's preparations for the SPAR European Cross Country Championships have worked well in the past, and on so many previous occasions, that it's no surprise he isn't thinking about changing the formula.
"This is my last race before Dublin. I'll go back home soon and be with the family for few weeks, and I'll then train down by the Black Sea for maybe two weeks before going up into the mountains in the south of Russia for about a month.
"Most years, I have not raced in the six to eight weeks before the SPAR European Cross Country Championships and that works well for me. I come down from the mountains maybe a week before the championships and I'm on the start line feeling fresh, fit and ready for the battle," commented Lebid.
Lebid is excited about his anticipated trip to Dublin, and not only because of the possibility of adding another gold medal to his already extensive collection.
"I've been to Dublin twice in recent years, last year and also in 2006, to run a 10km road race there. It's a great city and Ireland's got a great running tradition so there are always appreciative crowds.
"I would also love to finally win a race in Dublin. I've finished third and fourth there, if I remember correctly, in those road races.
"People might also remember that I also failed to finish at the World Cross Country Championships that were held there in 2002, and just 12 months after I'd won a silver medal, as I was feeling unwell. It's not a good memory for me.
"To say that I'm going to Dublin with something to prove would be an exaggeration but I definitely would like to show Irish running fans that I can win on their soil."
The expected heavy conditions at Santry Demesne, even though the course is relatively flat with only one significant undulation, hold no fears for Lebid.
Lebid has shown in the past, as you might imagine with eight SPAR European Cross Country Championships gold medals to his name, that he is a man for all surfaces.
"In 2007, the Spanish circuit (in Toro) was fast and dry. Last year, in Brussels, it was a typical wet and muddy Belgian course. I haven't looked at this year's course yet but, from what I've heard, Dublin should be more like the latter, and that's fine as traditional northern European conditions seem to suit me better," added Lebid.
For more on the 16th SPAR European Cross Country Championships, please click here.
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