Italian Athletics | FIDAL Official Site

December 13, 2025

Nadia was the protagonist of the European Athletics press conference on the eve of the event: “The route of the European Cross Country Championships reminds me of the park where I ran as a child near my house”. TV AND STREAMING

PHOTOGALLERY (Grana/FIDAL)

“It reminds me of when I was a child.” In what sense, Nadia? “Yes, this route takes me back to when I ran in the little park near my house, in Cavareno, it’s called Parco Pineta. Here in Pond I feel like I’m reliving those same paths.” Now that Nadia has grown up, really grown up Batocletti she holds every moment of her life close to her, every moment that contributed to making her the champion she is. With dad Giuliano he walks and runs up and down along the path of the European cross country championships on Sunday, he studies the characteristics, the pitfalls, the particularities such as the uphill start, the sequence of curves and ups and downs, the dirt road which appears rather compact.

Then, in the press conference on the eve of European Athletics, welcomed like a true star by president Dobromir Karamarinov, he outlined his emotions and hopes for the race in Portugal (7,470 km, start at 1pm), in search of the sixth continental cross-country title (gold in 2018-2019 as U20, 2021-2022 as U23, 2024 as overall), to enter even more into the legend of this event. “I hope to be able to confirm myself as European champion after the title in Antalya 2024 – she comments – but I don’t underestimate any of my opponents”. Among all, the Turkish Can, the Belgians Herbiet and Van Lent, the British Keith, the Portuguese Machado, the Dutch Van Es, the Swedish Lahti. Nadia continues: “I feel good on these routes, the one two weeks ago in the Alcobendas test was not so different. I will be captain of our team, which I consider very valid also in this edition: I will tell everyone to stay focused and push hard”.

Many curiosities from the international press about what has now become a continental icon of athletics: “Have I changed my training method? For now only in the more scientific approach, with a larger and more specialized staff, and on the ability to listen better to my body and my sensations. When I finish my university exams I will be even more focused on my sporting career, up to now it hasn’t been easy to reconcile everything”. In Portugal there will be no shortage of supporters of the ‘StraordiNadia’ fan club: “My mother is the ‘president’ – she smiles – they are my extra push with their caps and their flags”.

At the urban park of the Algarve city, on a 18 degree morning, all the Italians (42 in total) warm up their engines for a Sunday that promises to be sunny according to the weather forecast for the day before. The formation of the mixed relay has been confirmed with Pietro Arese (“Beautiful route, very technical, strange to say: a real cross, but without the mud”, says the men’s captain), Gaia Sabbatini, Marta Zenoni and Sebastiano Parolini. The first member of the team will only be made official on the morning of the race, and according to the regulations, the order of the other members of the team can be changed during the course of the match depending on the progress of the challenge. Portugal and Spain, on paper, are the most popular rivals for the reigning Azzurri champions.

TIME PROGRAM (Italian times, Portugal -1h)
10.30 – U20 donne (4,450 km)
11.00 – U20 men (4,450 km)
11.26 – U23 donne (5,960 km)
12.00 – U23 men (5,960 km)
12.30 – Mixed relay (1,300 km; 1,510 km; 1,510 km; 1,640 km)
1.00pm – Women (7,470 km)
1.41pm – Men (7.470 km)

LIVE TV AND STREAMING – The European Cross Country Championships in Lagoa (Portugal) will be broadcast live on Sunday 14 December on RaiSport from 11.25am to 1pm, and deferred from 2pm to 3.20pm. Live streaming on RaiPlay Sport 2 from 11.25am to 3.25pm.

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REGISTRANTS and TIME PROGRAM – THE ITALIAN TEAM – THE PRESENTATION RACE BY RACE

EUROPEAN CROSS CHAMPIONSHIPS 2025 | THE SHEETS OF THE AZURRI ATHLETES (PDF)

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