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August, a Championship month, with two Wings for Athletes runners selected for WC Budapest

August is a championship month, as well on national and on international level. In Belgium, one week after the track and field championships, the distance runners had their 10km road race championships in Lokeren. Both men & women titles went to the team: Lisa Rooms took her 3th title of the year (after cross country and 5000m) with a first sub33’ time (32.57), improving her old PB of 33’14 set in Valencia earlier this year. New national champion Dorian Boulvin (picture below) also run a little road PB, clocking again under 29’ (28.51) and showed after his 4 weeks high altitude training camp in St. Moritz that there is more to come on the roads quite soon… Other strong team members in Lokeren: Joris Keppens in his first marathon build up race (29.35), Lucas Da Silva (30.01, also out of marathon debut preparation!), Dorian Fintolini (30.04), Enzo Noel (30.11).

The same day, some track runners went to Leuven (Flanders Cup): steepler Clément Deflandre improved his 3000m flat PB with 8.03’13 as fourth. Not far behind, on sixth place, German steepler Velten Schneider with 8.05’31.

In the meantime, middle distance runner Vera Hoffmann (LUX) participated in her third World University Games in Chengdu (China) over 1500m. She came home with a very sweet first international medal of silver color: second place in a tactical brilliant race, closed with a last lap under 60’’!!  

This past week, the U20 athletes had their European championships in Jerusalem. Also here we had two Wings for Athletes runners in action:

Simon Jeukenne went back to this city where he was already finalist in the U18 EC over 2000m steeple one year ago. Unfortunately, this time over 3000m flat, he could not reach the final (10th place in the heats). One young men who had great ambitions for these championships because of a great season so far was Régis Thibert. He easily passed the heats over 1500m but due to illness wish caused him high fever he could not take part in the final. Same disappointing situation for the 5000m final some days later. Quick recovery to this talented men!!

The highlight of the season is just around the corner – World Championships in Budapest…with the participation of two Wings for Athletes 1500m runners:

Vera Hoffmann could qualify trough the World rankings. In fact, due to a number of solid results all along this season (8th place at European indoor championships, podiums at Gold and Silver label meetings, not less than 5 sub4.09 races and a PB of 4.06’94) she is on 38 position in the “road to Budapest” rankings (among 56 selected athletes).

Similar situation for Italian Joao Bussotti Neves: he so just jumped on the train to Budapest, due a.o. to 3 podiums on 3 different Bronze label meetings and 2 sub 3.36 results this season.

We wish them good luck at World Athletics highest stage.