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Demattei’s delight as perseverance finally pays off

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Today we look back at the 2013 European Mountain Running Championships in Borovets, Bulgaria, where Italy’s Bernard Demattei dethroned previous 6-time winner Ahmet Arslan.

On a glorious morning in the Bulgarian hillsides of Borovets, Italy’s Bernard Demattei demonstrated that you should never give up in pursuit of gold.

With a performance that suited his style - he thrives on tough, uphill challenges - Demattei won the European Mountain Running Championships with a brilliant performance.

He found himself at the top of the podium twice as Italy won the team title which showed what a talented sporting family the Demattei’s are as his twin brother Martin was there alongside him.

It was always going to be a tough competition because of the presence of Türkiye’s Ahmet Arslan, who had won had the title for the previous six years.

This time the tables were turned as the 27-year-old Italian won in 56:30 ahead of his teammate Alex Baldaccini, second in 57:35, and Arslan, third in 57:47.

Dematteis was beaming as he spoke at the finish and said: “I am very happy for this win. I hoped for this victory but it is not easy and the track was hard, it was difficult. 

“It is a dream for me; in fact yesterday it was a dream, now it is a reality.”

It was a fine performance from the Italian as Arslan, one of Türkiye’s great sporting heroes, had looked to make it seven out of seven.

Dematteis was in charge at the low point in 26:07 as Baldaccini followed in 26:59 and Arslan in 27:06 and as they reached the high point, Dematteis was timed at 43:21 with Baldaccini and Arslan together at 44:35.

“Arslan was very strong and after 2km I could see him in front. But I knew it was mine today,” Dematteis added.

But he was equally ecstatic that the celebrations were not just about him. Xavier Chevrier was Italy's third scorer, in fourth in 58:01, to ensure Italy secured the team title with just seven points from Great Britain with 24.

Steve Vernon was Britain's first athlete home in fifth in 58:33, while Arslan left with two bronzes as Türkiye’s men finished third in the team competition with 51.

It was quite a day for Italy whose women won the team title in the 8.8km senior race as Austria’s Andrea Mayr won the individual title.

Having finished fourth in the past, Mayr took herself to gold with a fine display as she triumphed in 51:49 from Italy's Valentina Belotti, who was second in 52:54, with Slovenia’s Mateja Kosovelj third in 53:08.

Behind Belotti, teammate Elisa Desco was fourth in 53:42 with Renate Runnger in fifth in 54:05 and that was enough for team gold with 11 points ahead of Switzerland with 36 and Great Britain with 52.

Mayr led at the low point in 30:10 and it was enough of a foundation to go all the way as she reached the high point in 50:05 before victory beckoned.

Italy just missed out on a third team gold in the junior men’s race, this race was all about the dominance of Türkiye and proof that Arslan’s legacy is paying off.

Fellow Turkish athlete Ramazan Karagoz, who at 16 was the youngest in the field, beat teammate Sehmus Sarihan by 1:03 to win in 48:51 with Italy's Michele Vaia third in 50:29.

With Omer Tuncer in 18th in 53:34, Türkiye ended with 21 points which was just enough as they beat Italy by one as Romania finished third with 36.

The junior women’s race, gold went the way of Germany’s Melanie Albrecht, 17, in 25:49 from Türkiye's Cesminaz Yilmaz, second in 26:29, and Slovenia's Lea Einfalt, third, in 27:06.

Russia took the team title with their first athlete being Olga Sharpova in fourth in 27:27 followed by teammates Ksenia Fedorchuk, ninth in 28:23, and Ekaterina Ivonina 11th in 28:59.

They combined for 24 points from Great Britain with 26 points and Türkiye with 34.



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