\u201cI\u2019m delighted to be joined by these great athletes today, and I\u2019m grateful they\u2019ve made time to help spread the important message,\u201d said Coe. \u201cCross country is an integral part in the development pathway for many endurance athletes,\" Sebastian Coe was quoted as saying in a release by World Athletics.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
\u201cI\u2019m particularly pleased to be at our second World Athletics Series event of the year, following the World Indoor Championships in Glasgow just a few weeks ago. I\u2019m delighted that our second World Championships of 2024 will be here in Belgrade \u2013 a city we\u2019re now becoming very familiar with. In recent years it has served not just European Athletics but World Athletics very well,\" said the World Athletics' president.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
\u201cWe gave Belgrade a very compacted timeframe to deliver these championships, but from the very outset the commitment was immediate and instant,\u201d added Coe. \u201cI\u2019m looking forward to watching almost 500 athletes from about 50 teams compete tomorrow, many of whom will be looking to use this as a platform towards the Olympic Games in Paris later this year,\u201d he added.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Aleksandar Sapic, the Mayor of Belgrade, spoke of his pride in welcoming the world to his city. \u201cI\u2019m very honoured and glad that we\u2019ve been given the opportunity to host one of biggest world-class athletics events,\u201d he said. \u201cIt\u2019s the fourth time Belgrade has hosted a big athletics competition, following on from the 2013 European Cross, the 2017 European Indoors, and the 2022 World Indoor Championships. I\u2019d like to wish all athletes a beautiful stay in Belgrade, and I hope you all achieve great results in tomorrow\u2019s races.\u201d<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Defending senior women\u2019s champion Beatrice Chebet explained how her victory in Bathurst last year set her up for the best season of her career to date. \u201cMy 2023 season was a great one,\u201d said the Kenyan. \u201cIt started in Australia, winning the world cross-country title, which motivated me a lot and set me up for the rest of the year. I went on to win the 5000m bronze medal in Budapest, then in Riga, I won the 5km and at the end of the year, I broke the world 5km record in Barcelona.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
\u201cKenya has a strong team here, so hopefully we\u2019ll return home with more medals and the team title.\u201d<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Defending senior men\u2019s champion Jacob Kiplimo is also hopeful of returning to his home country with more medals. The Ugandan won the U20 title on home soil in Kampala in 2017, then earned senior silver in 2019 before winning gold in Bathurst last year. \u201cI have done a lot of training for this event and I\u2019m excited to race tomorrow,\u201d he said. \u201cI think it will be a good race, and hopefully we\u2019ll see the Ugandan flag flying during the medal ceremonies.\u201d<\/p>\r\n\r\n
The three-time European cross-country champion Karoline Bjerkeli Grovdal said she\u2019s excited to be contesting her first World Cross since 2010. \u201cI love cross country and I\u2019ve done a lot of European championships, and this time the World Cross is in Europe so it was an easy event for me to attend,\u201d said the Norwegian. \u201cI want to test my form and see how my winter training has been going.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
\u201cIt\u2019s difficult for me to pick a favourite surface,\u201d she added. \u201cCross country is something I\u2019ve always enjoyed and been good at, but I also like to chase times, which leads me more to the road and track.\u201d<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Serbia\u2019s European indoor 3000m bronze medallist Elzan Bibic explained how he\u2019s looking forward to competing on a global stage on home soil. \u201cI\u2019m really proud that my country is hosting another world-class competition, and it\u2019s a pleasure to compete in front of a home crowd,\u201d said Bibic. \u201cI\u2019m glad we\u2019ve gathered this many champions for the event.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
\u201cI\u2019ll be running the first leg for Serbia in the mixed relay,\u201d he added. \u201cWe\u2019ll do our best and aim to finish in the top half. I hope all of the runners and coaches enjoy the competition.\u201d<\/p>\r\n\r\n", "image": "https:\/\/img.cricketnmore.com\/uploads\/2024\/03\/cross-country-is-integral-for-the-development-of-endurance-athletes-says-world-athletics-boss-sebastian-coe-ahead-of-world-championships.jpg", "alt_img": "Cross country is integral for the development of endurance athletes, says World Athletics boss Sebas", "alt_title": "Cross country is integral for the development of endurance athletes, says World Athletics boss Sebas", "image1": null, "video": null, "seo_title": "Cross Country Is Integral For The Development Of Endurance Athletes, Says World Athletics Boss Sebastian Coe Ahead Of World Championships On Cricketnmore", "seo_desc": "Cross Country Is Integral For The Development Of Endurance Athletes, Says World Athletics Boss Sebastian Coe Ahead Of World Championships, World Athletics President Sebastian Coe: World Athletics President Sebastian Coe has underlined the importance of the World Athletics Cross Country.", "seo_keywords": "World Athletics, Sebastian Coe, World Championships, World Athletics President Sebastian Coe, World Athletics Cross Country Championships, Town Hall, World Athletics Series, World Indoor Championships, European Athletics, Olympic Games, Aleksandar", "tag": "", "tagging": "World Athletics, Sebastian Coe, World Championships, Town Hall, World Athletics Series, World Indoor Championships, European Athletics, Olympic Games", "status": "1", "img_rpt": "0", "google": "1", "standout": "0", "edapps": "0", "pulse": "0", "no_index": "0", "feed": "0", "fixture": null, "slug": "cross-country-is-integral-for-the-development-of-endurance-athletes-says-world-athletics-boss-sebastian-coe-ahead-of-world-championships", "user_id": "0", "read_count": "0", "ians_date": null, "ians_time": null, "server_time": null, "trash": "0", "view_count": "628", "page_break": "0", "instant_articles": "1", "auto_link": "0", "created": "2024-03-30 11:06:03", "updated": "2024-03-30 11:06:03", "img_from": "Image Source: IANS", "img_source": null, "schedule_publish": null, "news_keywords": "World Athletics, Sebastian Coe, World Championships, World Athletics President Sebastian Coe, World Athletics Cross Country Championships, Town Hall, World Athletics Series, World Indoor Championships, European Athletics, Olympic Games, Aleksandar", "livescore_text": null, "livescore_link": null, "btn_text": null, "resend_feed": "1", "google_feed": "1", "read_more": "0", "posted_by": "23", "jio_date": "2024-03-30 11:06:03", "scheduled": "0", "news_now": "0", "breaking_news": "0", "google_date": null, "featured": "0", "sports_name": "athletics", "cnmid": "884901", "link": "https:\/\/www.cricketnmore.com\/sports-news\/cross-country-is-integral-for-the-development-of-endurance-athletes-says-world-athletics-boss-sebastian-coe-ahead-of-world-championships-14286" }