60th CAMPACCIO: THE LEGEND CONTINUES, THREE OLYMPIC MEDALS ON THE START LINE

For the 60th edition a cast of exepctional athletes: “The best ever”

Presented this morning in a climate of positivity and enthusiasm in the headquarters of the Bank Credito Valtellinese in Milano the 60^th Campaccio Cross Country, third stage of the IAAF Cross Country Permit, the world circuit of the cross country races. A true “Special edition”, given the importance of the anniversary. The race will be held as always happened in the last decades the day of the Epiphany, the 6^th January. There might be the sun, maybe the snow, mud and cold, but surely there will be a great, grand event, because the Campaccio has always had important names and numbers. In last year edition something less than 2.000 people between the amateurs and juveniles races of the morning, although the most awaited are always the ones for the élite athletes that maybe this year more than ever, will see at the start champions of absolute level.

Gianni Mauri, official speaker of the race from many years, today also President of the regional Lombardy committee of the FIDAL (the Italian Athletics Federation), mediated the presentation with his mastery and experience as ever. The first speech of the day was from our host of the Credito Valtellinese, Giovanni Barcellini: “It’s an honor for us to side our brand to the Campaccio, a historic brand and a real institution. In this 2016 we have supported 720 sport events, with an investment of nearly 1 million €, and we are really happy to be present also for a cross country race of this level”.

Same charisma and no ordinary word as ever came from Claudio Pastori, President of the Unione Sportiva Sangiorgese, the Club that organizes the event from the first edition, in the far 1957: “We are a great society, not only because we organize the Campaccio, but because in our multisport club constituted of athletics, basketball and volleyball we have a lot of youths that are reaching incredible results. And I am not talking only of sport results, but also in terms of participation, enthusiasm and will to be present and be a team and grow with it. There is a strong union and sharing spirit between athletes, trainers, parents, the Club and also the Mayor of San Giorgio su Legnano that is something exceptional. Years ago, the Mayor didn’t even look at us, but now is beside us for everything and for this we cannot abide to thank him”.

“We have two objectives for the 6^th January – concluded the President Pastori – that it will be a good day made by joy and sport and that a lot of spectators will be along the course and on the tribunes. I invite as always everyone who can to attend the show that is the Campaccio seen live on the fields”.

Present also the Mayor of San Giorgio su Legnano, Walter Cecchin: “The Campaccio for us is a “Legend that continues”, is the practice of sport thanks to the Unione Sportiva Sangiorgese that makes us proud and that we want to cultivate in order to transfer important messages to our children. It’s from the 1922 that this honorable and multi-decorated club delivers excellent sport activity, with its thought directed mainly to the base of our society. The Campaccio is a true and fundamental added value to our community”.

Moment of good feeling when the Mayor wanted homage Livio Mereghetti, the actual Vice President, a plaque of thanksgiving for what he did in 60 years of history. Livio for the Campaccio is a total institution, he run, saw or organized all the 60 editions of this race.

THE BOOK – Presented today also the new book of the journalist and writer Ennio Buongiovanni, a follow up of the one he wrote for the 50^th edition: “Under the sky of San Giorgio…and surroundings” where is told the last important decade of this legendary cross country. A decade that started with the organization of the European Cross Country Championships back in 2006, when a certain Mo Farah won the title: “I thank the Sangiorgese for the opportunity. This book is in the sign of continuity after the volume written in the occasion of the fiftieth edition”.

Representing the Fidal Regional Committee of Lombardy the same Gianni Mauri, new President: “Campaccio is the Paris-Roubaix of track and field. The hills and the bends of the course are the best exam possible for the ones who want to build their summer successes like Olympic and world medals”.

THE ATHLETES – And talking of medals, a lot of them, they were the cornerstone of the speech of presentation of the athletes taken by Marcello Magnani, from nearly a decade the Technical Director of the Campaccio: “Three Olympic Medals, two gold and a silver, a reigning world cross country champion, a reigning indoor world champion, a silver medal at the world championships and two world record holder. An outstanding cast with a lot of quality. We have never seen so many champions altogether, along with the best Italian of the moment.

“So we are proud of announce on the starting line the Kenyan Paul Tanui, silver in the 10.000m at the Olympic Games of Rio 2016, Yomif Kejelcha, Ethiopian, gold in the 3.000m indoor in Portland in March, the again Albert Rop that won the Campaccio in 2014, putting the Bahrani flag for the first stime in our book of winners and 7^th in the 5.000m in Rio this past August. Then Leonard Komon, Kenyan, world record holder of the road 10km (26’44) and 15km (41’13). Will have a primary role as often in his career on the Campaccio’s fields Imane Merga, the Ethiopian World Cross Country champion in 2011 and winner last year in San Giorgio su Legnano, with the compatriot Muktar Edris, that won very young in age in 2013 the Campaccio after the win in the World Junior Championships in the 5.000m the year before. Italy’s young “Azzurri” will find space in this race of very high level. Yeman Crippa is a two time junior European Cross Country champion (2014 and 2015) beyond having conquered a team U23 gold medal and a bronze individual medal two days ago in the European Cross Country Championships held in Chia (Italy). Yohanes Chiappinelli won a gold in the 3.000 steeplechase at the 2015 European Junior Championships, Italian record holder and silver medal two days ago always in Chia in the U20 category. Italy again thanks to Pietro Riva, gold in the 10.000m always at the 2015 European Junior Championships.”

“Women race of the same  if not even more importance – tells Magnani – Great the satisfaction to have been able to have the Olympic gold medal of the 1.500m of Rio Faith Kipyegon, Kenyan, that will match nothing less than Ruth Jebet (Bahrain) gold in Rio like Kipyegon but in the 3.000 steeplechase and world record holder on the same distance. Record set some days after the Games in Paris. The “trio of wonders” is completed with Agnes Tirop, reigning World Cross Country Champion that for sure won’t be frightened by the first two names and that will add battle and verve to the race. But that’s not all. Always bearing the flag of Kenya Alice Aprot, fourth and just one step down from the podium in the 10.000m in Rio and winner in the last edition of the Campaccio. Ethiopia represented by Gelete Burka, silver medal in the 10.000m at the 2015World Championships, whil the Italian on who you can bet is Veronica Inglese, silver medal in the half marathon in this summer’s European Championships in Amsterdam. What to say, we are satisfied and proud of what we manager to achieve, we are sure that the spectators at the Angelo Alberti Stadium will have fun”.

MEN’S START LIST

TANUI	Paul	Kenya	Silver 10.000 m Olimpic Games Rio 2016
KEJELCHA Yomif	YOMIF	Ethiopia	Gold 3000 m indoor Portland 2016
ROP	Albert	Bahrain	1° at Campaccio 2014 and 7° 5000 m Olympic Games Rio 2016
KOMON	Leonard	Kenya	WR Holder road 10km (26'44") and 15km (41'13")
MERGA	Imane	Ethiopia	Gold 2011 World Cross Country Championships
EDRIS	Muktar	Ethiopia	1° Campaccio 2013 and Gold 5000 m World Junior Championships 2012
CRIPPA	Yeman	Italy	2 Gold European Cross Country Championships Juniores 2014 / 2015
CHIAPPINELLI	Yohanes	Italy	Gold 3.000 sc 2015 Juniores European Championships
RIVA	Pietro	Italy	Gold 10.000 m 2015 Juniores European Championships

  

WOMEN’S START LIST

KIPYEGON	Faith	Kenya	Gold 1.500m Olimpic Games Rio 2016
JEBET	Ruth	Bahrain	Gold 3.000sc Olimpic Games Rio 2016 and WR Holder 3.000sc
TIROP	Agnes	Kenya	Gold 2015 World Cross Country Championships
APROT	Alice	Kenya	4° 10.000 m Olimpic Games Rio 2016
BURKA	Gelete	Ethiopia	Silver 10.000m 2015 World Championships
INGLESE	Veronica	Italy	Silver Half Marathon European Championships Amsterdam 2016