Italy, and especially Trentino, continue to play a leading role in the international obstacle racing scene. Once again they are hosting in Folgaria, on the Alpe Cimbra. With the support of the local municipalities, the seventh edition of the OCR European Championships, the top continental obstacle racing competition has been organized by the ASD FIOCR – Federazione Italiana OCR in combination with the World Obstacle (Fédération Internationale de Sports d’Obstacles) and the EOSF (European Obstacle Sports Federation).
After the success in 2022 in Val di Fiemme, the challenges will move to Fondo Grande, a marvelous ski resort 4 km from Folgaria, as part of the Alpe Cimbra. This region is famous for its deep love for the sport, dotted with delightful alpine villages, breathtaking natural landscapes but also a centuries-old history alive in traditions and places of great interest.
“Since its origins – says Mauro Leoni, FIOCR President – Italy has been a protagonist in the development of the discipline. After 2015 we were the first country in the world to organize a national championship and in 2018 we were co-founders of the EOSF, which represents the movement in Europe, parallel to what happens in the world with the World Obstacle, we worked to train organizers, marshalls and coaches. These merits have been recognized with the awarding of the second European, for which we boast a young but experienced organizational staff of 40 resources from all over Italy, who will coordinate the work of more than 100 judges and as many volunteers together with other European exponents”.
“We are proud to host such an important event on the Alpe Cimbra – says Gianluca Gatti, APT President – which will bring many athletes from all over Europe to discover our area for the first time. We are working with all our operators to welcome them warmly and make them feel at home. It will be a start of the season again this year in which sport is the protagonist: from the National Absolute Championships and Rhythmic Gymnastics Group Championships to the Transalp, from the 100 km dei Forti to the soccer retreats, from the Cross & Sprint Triathlon to the Orienteering Trophy of the Regions. This great focus on sports and sporting events will see Alpe Cimbra become a European Community of Sport in 2025″.
“Alpe Cimbra – says Daniela Vecchiato, APT Director – is now by definition the Mountain of Champions by virtue of the great sporting events it has hosted for many years. We are ready with the whole organization to host the OCREC European Championships, this discipline finding its home again in our beautiful Alpe Cimbra. Together with us, the Municipality of Folgaria, FolgariaSki and Polisportiva Alpe Cimbra are working to ensure the best preparation of the competition terrain but above all the warm welcome that only Alpe Cimbra and Trentino know how to reserve for great sporting events”.
THE WEEKEND’S COMPETITIONS
The natural and man-made obstacles scattered along the courses will test, as always, the multidisciplinary preparation of the participants. In addition to having to show off endurance, strength, agility, balance, mobility and coordination. For example, these challenges include carrying weights, crossing beams and ropes, overcoming suspended structures, including multi rigs, but also, of course, speed running on the different off-road tracks.
Qualified athletes, through useful placings in recognized races in their respective countries, will compete on the Short (3km, 20 hurdles, June 14), Standard (15km, 40 hurdles, June 15) and Team (8km, 20 hurdles, June 16) distances with one big goal, namely to aspire to the absolute and Age Group podiums. But amateurs and non-qualified athletes will also be able to test themselves, with the same rules and obstacles as the best continental athletes, thanks to the Journeyman mode in dedicated waves or with the Fun Run (8km, 20 obstacles, June 16).
In addition, the qualifying and final stages of the spectacular 100m format (12 hurdles), similar to that also included in the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic program as the new fifth discipline of Modern Pentathlon, will be held throughout the event. This year the big news also concerns the introduction of the Adaptive category (Para OCR) on all distances and the holding of the Kids event (800 meters, 10 hurdles), for the very young from 6 to 12 years old.
BLUE CALL-UPS AND TOP RUNNERS
In Italy, the movement is represented by the ASD Federazione Italiana OCR, established in 2016 with the aim of regulating and promoting obstacle racing at the national level. Today in the peninsula it has 50 thousand finishers each year with as many as 60 affiliated sports clubs, including organizers, teams and obstacle courses.
Just the FIOCR has announced the first convocations of the Azzurri who will compete for the titles up for grabs, including Gian Maria Savani from Parma, who won gold in the Short distance and silver in the Standard at the 2023 World Championships, and Francesca Dambruoso from Mantova, Master champion at the 2023 World Championships and vice Master 100mt champion at the 2023 European Championships.
Tuscany’s Righerta Kadija and Federica Toni, Romagna’s Deborah Molinaro and Umbria’s Noemi Orologio will be the additional levers in the women’s team, while, among the men, Trentino’s Loris Pintarelli, Lucania’s Emilio Pagnotta, Piedmont’s Flavio Pellerei, Tuscany’s Valentino De Vanna, Piedmont’s Alberto Miotti and Emilia’s Yuri Prezzi.
Defending the 2023 European overall titles in the Short distance were Ida Mathilde Rubens Steensgaard (DEN) and Jesse De Heer (NED), while in the Standard Ulrikke Evensen (DEN) and Stijn Lagrand (NED). In the 100m, however, they are competing to hunt for the successors of Jonaczyk Katarzyna (POL) and Prokudin Urii (EOSF).
Fot. FIOCR – Italian OCR Federation
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