Jakob Ingebrigtsen, rounded off a memorable 2021 with European Cross Country gold in Dublin beating the two-time European champion Aras Kaya from Turkey in the men’s 10 km race that was held at the Sport Ireland Campus in Fingal-Dublin.
The 21-year-old Norwegian middle-distance star claimed his first European senior gold medal in his debut as he also beat three-time European under 23 cross country champion Jimmy Gressier from France.
Ingebrigtsen crowned a memorable 2021 season in which he won the Olympic 1500 metres in Tokyo setting the European record of 3:28.32. His older brother Filip did not finish the race.
The leading group was whittled down to four runners by the end of the second large lap: Kaya, Ingebrigtsen, Gressier and Yeman Crippa with one lap and a half to go. Crippa dropped out of the race because of a stomach problem on the penultimate lap.
Kaya pushed the pace ahead of Ingebrigtsen. They broke away from Gressier at the bell.
The Olympic 1500m champion stepped up his pace, dropping Kaya and increased his lead to cut the tape 30:15.
Kaya came home in second in 30:29 with Gressier closed the first three podium finishes in 30:38.
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