| Personal information | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nationality | Danish | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Born | 30 July 2004 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Sport | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Sport | Athletics | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Event(s) | Steeplechase, cross-country | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Achievements and titles | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Personal best(s) | 3000m Steeplechase: 8:29.12 (Bergen, 2022) 5km: 13:42 (Monaco, 2022) 10km: 29:01 (Århus, 2022) | |||||||||||||||||||||||
Medal record
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Axel Vang Christensen (born 30 July 2004) is a Danish track and field athlete and cross-country runner. He is the 2021 and 2023 European Cross Country U20 champion. [1]
Christensen was brought up in Hillerod, to the north of Copenhagen. He started running initially just in order to increase his fitness for football. However, he won an under-age national title when 11 years-old and changed his focus to athletics. [2] He attended the University of Birmingham, where he was a contemporary of Will Barnicoat. [3]
In 2021 he won silver in the 3000 Metres Steeplechase at the 2021 European Athletics U20 Championships in Tallinn. [4] He won the U20 race at the 2021 European Cross Country Championships in Dublin. [5]
In 2021, he also won the Danish national championships over 10k, and retained the title in 2022, finishing a minute ahead of Thijs Nijhuis. In 2022, in Lillesø, he beat the Jakob Ingebrigtsen's U20 European record for 3000 meters indoors. [6] He competed in the 3000m steeplechase at the 2022 European Athletics Championships in Munich, however he picked up an injury during the race and could not complete the course. [7]
In December 2023, he won the 2023 European Cross Country Championships U20 race in Brussels, finishing strongly ahead of Niels Laros and Nick Griggs. [8]
Günther Weidlinger is an Austrian long-distance runner who is a former 3000 metres steeplechase specialist but now competes in the marathon.
Fionnuala McCormack is an Irish runner who has competed at a range of distance running events. She was the gold medallist at the 2011 and 2012 European Cross Country Championships, become the first woman to successfully defend the title. She has represented Ireland in the steeplechase at the 2008 Beijing Olympics and 2012 London Olympics, the 2007 World Championships in Athletics and 2011 World Championships in Athletics, and twice at the European Athletics Championships.
Ancuța Bobocel is a Romanian middle-distance runner who specializes in the 3000 metres steeplechase. She represented Romania at the 2008, 2012 and 2016 Summer Olympics and is a three-time participant at the World Championships in Athletics. In 2009, she won the European U23 and Jeux de la Francophonie steeplechase titles, as well as a silver at the Summer Universiade.
Evan Reese Jager is an American distance runner. He won the silver medal in the 3000 metres steeplechase at the 2016 Rio Olympics and a bronze at the 2017 World Championships in Athletics. Jager is the current NACAC area record holder in the event with a time of 8:00.45, which makes him the 16th fastest performer in its history. He is sponsored by Nike and is coached by Jerry Schumacher in the Bowerman Track Club.
Emma Jane Coburn is an American middle-distance runner who specializes in the 3000-meters steeplechase. She holds the distinction of being a world champion, world silver medalist, Olympic bronze medalist, three-time Olympian and 10-time US National Champion in the steeplechase.
Karoline Bjerkeli Grøvdal is a Norwegian middle-, long-distance and steeplechase runner. She won bronze medals for the 10,000 metres at the 2016 European Championships, and in the 3000 m steeplechase at the 2018 European Championships. Grøvdal earned nine individual medals at the European Cross Country Championships, an unsurpassed record by a female athlete in the meet history.
Colleen Quigley is an American middle-distance runner, steeplechase specialist and an Olympian from St. Louis, Missouri. She is the current World Record holder in the 4x1500 meters relay. Competing in the 3000 meters steeplechase, she finished 8th at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio and 12th at the 2015 World Championships in Athletics in Beijing. She was the 2019 US National Indoor Champion in the one-mile event running 4:29.47 to capture the title and was the 2015 NCAA Champion in the 3000 meters steeplechase. In 2023, Quigley announced that she would start competing in triathlon events, but that she still plans to race track and field through 2024.
Peruth Chemutai is a Ugandan steeplechase runner. She won the gold medal in the women's 3000 metres steeplechase at the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo, becoming the first Ugandan woman ever to win an Olympic medal.
Jakob Ingebrigtsen is a Norwegian middle- and long-distance runner. Ingebrigtsen is the current world record holder for the indoor 1500 metres and the 2000 metres, and holds the world best time over the two mile distance. Ingebrigtsen is a two-time World champion, winning gold medals in the 5000 metres in 2022 and 2023 and a four-time European champion, winning gold medals in the 1500 m and 5000 m in 2018 and 2022. He also won a gold medal in the 1500 m at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, setting an Olympic and European record. In addition to the 1500 m, Ingebrigtsen holds European records in the mile and 5000 m, and is one of only three men to run a sub-3:30 1500 m, sub-7:30 3000 m and a sub-12:50 5000 m.
Yohanes Chiappinelli is an Ethiopian-born Italian male middle-distance runner and steeplechaser.
Amy-Eloise Neale OLY is a British middle- and long-distance runner. She won the gold medal in the 3000 metres at the 2021 European Indoor Championships.
Nadia Battocletti is an Italian female middle- and long-distance runner. She won the gold medal for the 5000 metres at the 2021 European Under-23 Championships. Battocletti earned four individual gold medals in the U20 and U23 age groups at the European Cross Country Championships. She is the Italian record holder for the indoor 3000 metres and 5 km road race.
Rina Ruth Cjuro Merma is a Peruvian long-distance runner. She competed in the senior women's race at the 2019 IAAF World Cross Country Championships held in Aarhus, Denmark. She finished in 82nd place.
Eilish Flanagan is an Irish long distance runner. She competed in the 3000 metres steeplechase at the 2020 Olympics.
George "Geordie" Beamish is a New Zealand middle- and long-distance runner. He holds the Oceania area record in the 3000 m steeplechase of 8:13.26 and the New Zealand record in the indoor 3000 m and 5000 m. He finished fifth at the 2023 World Athletics Championships in the 3000 m steeplechase.
Ky Robinson is an Australian long-distance runner.
Megan Keith is a Scottish track and field athlete and cross country runner. In 2023, she became the European U23 champion over 5000 metres.
Nick Griggs is an Irish middle and long-distance runner from County Tyrone.
Will Barnicoat is a British track and field athlete and cross country runner. He was European U20 cross country champion in 2022, and became European U23 cross country champion in 2023.
Sofia Thøgersen is a Danish middle distance and long distance runner. A multiple-time national champion, and the Danish national record holder over 1500 metres, in 2023 she became the youngest Danish athlete to compete at the World Athletics Championships.
