CASSINO – The 20th World University Championship Cross Country 2016, hosted in Cassino, Italy has been a successful event. FISU praised the Organising Committee, headed by the ex-rector of the University, Prof. Ciro Attaianese, for the excellent work and especially for the design of the track which allowed everyone to see the running athletes. Hundreds of people attended the race. In the men’s individual race, Morocco has crushed the opponents. Hicham Amghar has covered the distance (7 laps of 1,500 meters) in 33 minutes and 46 seconds. Reda Jaafar, also from Morocco, reached the second step of the podium with only three seconds difference. The bronze medal went to Ben Youssef Had, which took 33 minutes and 51 seconds.The first Italian athlete reaching the finish line was Italo Quazzola who ranked eleventh with a time of 34 minutes and 22 seconds. Morocco has also won first place in the men’s team awarding. Japan and Turkey ranked, respectively, second and third in the men’s team awarding.
Moroccan athletes dominated the men’s podium
In the women’s team awarding, the Italian Team reached the third place behind the United Kingdom (silver medal) and Japan (gold medal). In the women’s individual championship (4 laps of 1,500 meters) Sevilay Eytemis from Turkey ranked first covering the distance in 21 minutes and 57 seconds. Second and third place went to Japanese athletes Moeno Shimizu (22 minutes) and Maki Izumida (22 minutes and 1 second) respectively.
The women’s team podium
In the evening, during the Closing Ceremony, the FISU flag was handed to Switzerland, which will host the 21st WUC Cross Country in 2018. The Organizing Committee, the University and the CUS expressed satisfaction for the great success of the event. “FISU Delegates told me that in many years of work they have never found a beautiful track like this”, the President of Organising Committee Ciro Attaianese said with pride. Moreover he added that “Economic and political support is needed to ensure the legacy of this Event and the stay of the track. It can be a tool for training and socialization as we saw today.”
The rector of the University of Cassino Prof. Giovanni Betta highlighted the good job done by the OC: “We responded very well to a non-trivial stress. The Competition only lasted a few hours but many people worked for months to make it possible. My acknowledgements go especially to them.”
FISU 1st VP Leonz Eder (c) represented the FISU Board
The mayor of Cassino Atty Giuseppe Golini Petrarcone, just back from Holland for the lighting of the Benedictine torch, awarded the winners and congratulated all: “This event is a pride for the whole town.” The CUS President Carmine Calce first of all thanked the 221 student-volunteers who contributed to the success of the event, and then said: “We are really satisfied from a technical point of view. Many spectators attended the race on Saturday morning and inhabitants of the city can now enjoy a new place for physical activity and socialization”.
(Source: 2016 WUC Cross Country OC)
Results
Related News
African domination at the 2024 FISU World University Championships Cross Country in Muscat
Oman to host its first ever FISU event in welcoming the 2024 FISU World University Championships Cross Country
