European Athletics (EAA) – News – D’Hoedt out to show his prowess in another age group

Belgium’s Jeroen D'Hoedt, last year’s SPAR European Cross Country Championships junior men’s winner, has targeted a top five finish in his first year in the under 23 ranks at this year’s event in Albufeira, Portugal, on December 12. 

“I am aiming to peak in mid-December at the SPAR European Cross Country Championships in Albufeira. I would like to place in the top five but it is not going to be easy because I am the youngest of the class. However, the top 10 should be guaranteed,” the 20-year-old applied science student at Leuven University told the local media recently. 

D'Hoedt admits that he has a heavy work load with his studies and getting in the miles can sometimes be difficult. “But I think I’ve been planning properly and I have some a good relationship with the university and my coach (Dirk De Maesschalck),” he added. 

He has already showed that he is in good shape this winter by leading his club Luupers OEH to a victory in the Lotto CrossCup Relays in Gent on October 24 and then third place on a very testing, sandy, course at the well-known Mol meeting last weekend. 

“I was only aiming for a place in the top three in Mol so I’m happy. Everything is geared towards going step-by-step towards Albufeira and I’m still only 20. 

“I couldn’t hold onto Atelaw (Bekele, last year’s SPAR European Athletics Championships under 23 bronze medallist) and Tasama Dame (the winner in Mol). They were a bit too fast for me but I'm still in a construction phase and hope to do a lot better against them in Roeselare (on November 21), depending on the conditions.” 

D'Hoedt missed out on competing at the European Athletics Championships in the summer, he had been hoping to qualify in the 1500m, and wants to make amends this winter. 

“I was looking to run a qualifying time at the KBC Night of Athletics in Heusden-Zolder (a European Athletics Premium Meeting) and it was an excellent opportunity, but I was not quite ready. Two days later, I ran in Brasschaat and I didn’t quite have the right attitude at the start. However, I showed that I could have got to Barcelona by twice later (in August) going under what would have been the European Athletics Championships qualifying time.” 

Next summer though, D'Hoedt’s attentions may return to the 3000m steeplechase. 

He won a European Athletics Junior Championships bronze medal in 2009 but only had one race over the barriers last summer.

“However, I have never neglected the steeplechase, and I now I am targeting the steeplechase for the European Athletics U23 Championships in Ostrava next summer, but I like to keep the 1500m as another option,” said D'Hoedt.

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