Nadia Battocletti signs the historic 5,000-10,000 meters gold double at the European Championships, as an authentic master of the middle distance in the continental event that takes place at the Olympic Stadium in Rome. The thirty-year-old set the pace right from the start, thinned out the group, intensified the action near the seventh kilometer and then accelerated forcefully in the last two laps, going on to triumph solo with the time of 30:51.32, which is the new Italian record for the distance longest on track: after 24 years it comes surpassed the 31:05.57 that the late Maura Viceconte set in Heusden.
Nadia Battocletti thus replies deadly one-two signed by Salvatore Antibo at the 1990 European Championships and now holds the Italian records for 5000, 5 km, 10,000 and 10 km. At the finish line she seemed almost as fresh as a rose and with a lot of energy in her fuel, demonstrating a commendable state of form and her entry into a new technical and competitive dimension after the disappointments of last summer’s World Championships in Budapest. At the 2024 Paris Olympics will you compete over these distances challenging the Africans and Americans or will you continue the 1500m project in view of the Games?
With the tricolor on her shoulders she was then accompanied to the stands for receive compliments from Sergio Mattarella, President of the Republic who is enjoying an evening of great athletics. Behind our standard bearer were the Dutch Diane van Es (30:57.24, personal) and the British Megan Keith (31:04.77). Federica Del Buono excellent fourth with a time of 31:25.41 (personal), Elisa Palmero sixth with a personal best of 31:38.45.
