Veronica Inglese finished 19th at the European Cross Country Championships in Hyeres last December but the 25-year-old is on course to challenge for her second piece of silverware of the season.
Inglese has lowered her lifetime bests at all distances from 1500m up to the half marathon this year and it was over the latter distance where she claimed a silver medal at the European Athletics Championships in Amsterdam behind Sara Moreira, setting her fastest ever time of 1:10:35 on an undulating course in the process.
Inglese’s brilliant series of performances this year has been recognised by the Italian deciders who have pre-selected her - along with seven other athletes - for the European Cross Country Championships in Chia on 11 December.
An Italian athlete has never won an individual medal in the senior women’s race at the European Cross Country Championships but the in-form Inglese will be able to prepare conscientiously for Chia over the next two months knowing her selection has already been guaranteed.
By contrast, Italy has won the last two editions of the junior men’s race courtesy of Yemaneberhan Crippa. The 19-year-old will be looking to claim his third individual title of his blossoming career when he steps up into the under-23 division in December.
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The under-23 team will be in contention for a medal in the team race as former European junior 5000m silver medallist Samuele Dini and Iliass Aouani have also been named in their team.
Federica Del Buono finished a creditable fifth in the European 1500m senior final as a teenager in Zurich but the highly talented youngster has missed out on nearly the entirety of the last two summer seasons due to injury.
Del Buono did make a promising comeback in August with an Italian under-23 mile record of 4:28.13 in Rovereto and the 21-year-old will start as one of the leading medal prospects in her last race in the under-23 ranks.
Silvia Oggioni has also been named in the under-23 team while European junior steeplechase champion Yohanes Chiappinelli and European junior 10,000m champion Pietro Riva will form a strong challenge in the junior men’s race.