Luiza Gega wins European team championship, surpassing Bulgaria's Ivet Lalova-Collio, in a decisive sprint race
Posted : 20 June 2023
Luiza Gega, Albania's first European champion, has taken a significant step towards making history by securing the first of the two victories she needs to match Bulgaria's Ivet Lalova-Collio as the most successful athlete in the Team Championships.
The 5000m race presented a tough challenge for Gega, as she faced competition from Lonah Salpeter, a Kenyan-born athlete representing Israel and the European 10,000m champion in 2018. Gega closely tracked Salpeter throughout the race before making a decisive sprint on the final bend to secure victory.
Acknowledging the strength of her opponent, Gega commented, "When I saw the girl from Israel, I knew it wouldn't be an easy race as she's a great athlete. Usually, I like to run in front, but this time I've decided to stay behind."
To equal Lalova-Collio's record of 11 wins and two second places in the Team Championships, Gega now only needs to win the 3000m steeplechase, her specialist event, on Wednesday.
Gega, who has achieved victories in Team Championship races across various distances since 2010, holds confidence in her upcoming performance in the 3000m steeplechase, leading this season's best list with a time of 9:11.94, more than half a minute faster than her closest competitor.
Although Salpeter, a world bronze medalist in the marathon, had a superior personal best in the distance, Gega's middle-distance speed proved decisive as she surged ahead in the final stretch, crossing the finish line in triumph with a time of 15:32.39, while Salpeter finished in 15:36.07.
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