19th May 2012 09:19
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| European 10,000m bronze medallist Daniele Meucci will lead the Italian charge at the European Cup 10,000m in Bilbao on 3 June. |
Both teams on paper look very strong and could be in contention for individual and team honours.
Among the men is former SPAR European Cross Country Championships junior and under 23 winner Andrea Lalli, 2010 European Athletics Championships 10,000m bronze medallist Daniele Meucci and Ruggero Pertile, who has been one of Europe's top marathon runners in recent years and who was fourth at the 2010 European Athletics Championships.
The only Italian man to get an individual medal at the Cup has been Marco Mazza, who finished third in 2002 but the Italian men's team has been on the podium seven times in the past with their best performances being sets of silver medals at the inaugural edition in 1997 and then a decade later in 2007.
The Italian women's team includes Valeria Straneo, improved the Italian national marathon record to a 2012 European-leading time of 2:23:44 in Rotterdam last month and was voted second in the European Athletes of the Month for April.
Also wearing the familiar blue vest of the Azzuri will be Nadia Ejjafini, who set her personal best of 32:14.62 when finishing fifth at the 2011 European Cup 10,000m in Oslo and will be looking for a further improvement in the Basque city.
Like the men, there has never been an Italian individual winner in the Cup but Silvia Weissteiner, who is also in their team this time around and will be looking to finish her first race over 25 laps of the track since 2009, was second in 2006.
However, the Italian women are the defending Cup team champions.
Last year in Oslo, the Italian women ran out the winners with an aggregate time of 1:37:50.55 - with Ejjafini, Rosaria Console and Elena Romagnolo finishing fifth, eighth and ninth respectively - for their first Cup title of any description.
The Italian complete teams with clubs, are:
Men - Daniele Caimmi (Fiamme Gialle), Simone Gariboldi (Fiamme Oro), Stefano La Rosa, (Carabinieri), Andrea Lalli (Fiamme Gialle), Daniele Meucci (Esercito), Ruggero Pertile (Assindustria Sport Padova).
Women - Federica Dal Ri (Esercito), Nadia Ejjafini (Esercito/Runner Team 99), Claudia Pinna (CUS Cagliari), Elena Romagnolo (Esercito), Valeria Straneo (Runner Team 99), Silvia Weissteiner (Forestale).