Serhij Lebid’, cross country is the beginning of everything

Thanks to Karhu, we talked to the 9-time European cross country champion
Some human beings indelibly mark their sports disciplines. They are devourers of medals and records, they are athletes capable of dominating their performances, they are perfectionists motivated by a single need, a single goal that never stops being fundamental and primary: victory. Serhij Lebid’, born in Ukrainian Dnipropetrovs’k on July 15, 1975, is one of these mythical figures, of these all-powerful totems admired by every opponent and spectator. An Italian and adopted Verbania citizen, Lebid’ counts 19 consecutive appearances at the European XC Championships between 1994 and 2012. For more than two decades he literally dominated this event, finishing 12 times on the podium and winning 9 titles (including 5 consecutive). Thanks to Karhu, we met this sporting legend inside the Palace of Venaria, during the European Cross Country Championships, aka his paradise. We talked about the value of cross country and Ukrainian current events. These are his words.



“Cross country represents my whole life. It’s the beginning of everything. Children start running on these trails; that’s how I started, too. This is an indispensable foundation for road and track running. Ingebritsen’s presence at every European cross is not causal…. This phenomenon attends these competitions in order to prepare for the races he will run in the months to come, because the excellence of middle-distance running is prepared here. When I watch events like the European Cross Country Championships I get a little nostalgic and feel so many images, memories and moments come back. The mind matters as much as the body if you want to compete at this level. When you run on the track everything is the same, here it’s the opposite, you’re constantly alternating uphill and downhill: on the one hand you feel better, because you are in contact with nature, your breathing is purer and you never risk getting bored, on the other hand tracks like this force your body to enormous exertion. I still remember when I won my first European title and the following week I participated in a mud race where I finished far behind in the rankings…. You need time to understand the environmental factor, to get your muscles used to emerging from mud and tough grounds. I’m Italian by adoption, but I still live in Ukraine, where I manage middle-distance athletes for my country’s federation. It’s a very strange time, because when the war came everything became confused. Between sirens and missiles you don’t realize what’s going on, for the first period it’s like you feel the war far away from you, but then you understand and you end up getting used to something so negative… I just hope it ends as soon as possible, so many people are dying.”



Credits:
Photo Credits: Rise Up Duo
Testo a cura di Gianmarco Pacione
Related Posts

Stella Rossa Venezia, senza calcio non c’è vita in Laguna
Il calcio amatoriale è stato sfrattato da Venezia, ma tra i canali la resistenza sociale e sportiva è ancora viva

‘Baltic Sea’ KARHU e JNF si uniscono per la tutela del Mar Baltico
Athleta Magazine sarà Media Partner dell’evento che assocerà running e sostenibilità marina

Facce da Marmöl
La filosofia Marmöl Gravel nelle parole dei suoi protagonisti

Marmöl Gravel, ritratti di una festa gravel
Marmo Botticino, fatica, birre e dj set: a Brescia le due ruote vanno oltre la performance

Marmöl Gravel, la bici si fonde con il Marmo Botticino
Athleta Magazine sarà Media Partner di questo evento dedicato alle due ruote e al territorio bresciano

Serhij Lebid’, il cross come inizio di tutto
Grazie a Karhu siamo riusciti a parlare con l’ucraino 9 volte campione europeo di cross country

Franco Arese e Maurizio Damilano, il cross è per sempre
Due leggende dell’atletica italiana spiegano l’importanza degli European Cross Country Championships torinesi

La meraviglia podistica degli European Cross Country Championships
Insieme a Karhu abbiamo raggiunto la Reggia Venaria di Torino e ammirato l’elite del cross country continentale

L’Europa del cross country
Grazie a Karhu ritrarremo la nobile fatica del cross country agli Europei di Torino

Watchlist: The Chosen Few – Captains
The documentary that compares 6 captains, 6 cultures and 6 world dreams