Nadia Battocletti, the 24-year-old from Trentino from Cles, Olympic silver medalist in the 10,000 meters in Paris last summer and European champion in Rome in both the 5000 and 10,000, writes another piece of history in this magical 2024 which takes her to the top step of European cross country. In Türkiye in Antalya the Italian wins a never-disputed gold, with a race that sees her run with a lightness, elegance and class that hide effort and effort. The Italian flies and is the first Italian to climb to the top step of a European cross-country race but she is also the first woman ever to win in all categories (Under 20, Under 23 and overall). A perfect race in which only the French Manon Trapp tried to annoy her by stretching from the start but it was immediately clear that there would be no story with the Italian from the Fiamme Oro who closed her race in 25’43, preceding the German in the long final sprint Konstanze Klosterhalfen by 11 seconds and the Turkish one Yasemin Can of 18. “I didn’t expect a race like this, with the Frenchwoman’s escape – explains the Italian at the finish line – I thought it would be pretty tough but not that I had to chase, then control, then start again. I rarely like to be behind, I want to have the situation under control.” A European gold which is a bit like the closing of a circle, the perfect ending to a perfect year which saw the new European champion rightfully enter the elite of world middle distance running: “The word for 2024 was inspiration – she explains – Today I got it from the big one Andrea Lalli who so far had been the only one to complete the hat-trick and I’m happy to have done it too. I am also very happy to have obtained a team gold which is historic: this national team has done really well, there are excellent young people and the results always have positive consequences for the whole movement”. Thanks to the placings of Elisa Palmero (13th) e Ludovica Cavalli (19th) Italy also won gold in the team competition for the first time in history, ahead of Great Britain and Belgium. Not only that. It was a European expedition worth remembering for the Italian national team thanks also to the silver of Yeman Crippa in the men’s race. beaten only by the great favourite, the Norwegian Jakob Ingebrigtsen and to gold in the mixed relay with Pietro Arese who completed the work carried out by his teammates Sebastiano Parolini, Marta Zenoni and Sintayehu Vissa. The Azzurri won ahead of France and Great Britain.