Zerei Kbrom Mezngi took incredible EC silver in the 10,000 meters – VG

Zerei Kbrom Mezngi took incredible EC silver in the 10,000 meters – VG
Zerei Kbrom Mezngi took incredible EC silver in the 10,000 meters – VG
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EC SENSATION: Zerei Kbrom Mezngi blew up the field and it almost held gold.Photo: Bjørn Steinar Delebekk / VG

MÜNCHEN/OSLO (VG) Eritrean-Norwegian Zerei Kbrom Mezngi (36) shook the entire field, set a personal record by eleven seconds – and took an incredible EC silver.

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– I lack the words to explain it, but it means a lot to me, says Mezngi to VG

The 36-year-old blew up the field with just over two laps to go, and it seemed to last a long time all the way. However, Italian Yemaneberhan Crippa overtook him on the run, but Mezngi just managed to keep Yann Schrub behind him.

His time ended up being 27.46.94. Thus, Mezngi improved his personal record by almost eleven seconds.

“Today my goal was to become a medallist,” says the 36-year-old and says he knew he was good for a medal on a good day.

He completes an incredible EC for the Norwegian runners. Jakob Ingebrigtsen won gold in the 1500 and 5000 metres, Karsten Warholm won in the 400 meter hurdles. With Pål Haugen Lillefosse’s bronze in the pole vault and Eivind Henriksen’s hammer bronze, Mezngi stands for Norway’s sixth EC medal: three gold, one silver and two bronze, is the conclusion.

Thus, it is on par with Norway’s historic EC in 1994, when there were also six medals in Helsinki: However, the 94 heroes took three gold, two silver and one bronze, and remain marginally ahead.

The 36-year-old Mezngi, who runs for the Stavanger club Skjalg, takes Norway’s second medal in the 10,000 meter distance – after Are Nakkim’s silver in 1990.

– I had dreamed that he could win a medal. He has fantastic potential in long races, says Asle Tjelta, Mezngi’s coach, to VG after the sensational silver medal.

See how it went when VG’s journalists tested the “Ingebrigtsen speed”.

Mezngi came to Norway as a refugee in 2012 from Eritrea. In Norway, he started investing in athletics.

– I started running when I started walking. When I started school, I ran all the time. The whole time I’ve been running, says Mezngi.

The 36-year-old considered giving up last year and rather become a taxi driver, according to TV 2. However, he was persuaded to continue, and during the NM in Kristiansand he took gold in the 10,000 meters and silver in the 5,000 meters. Last October, he got a place on the national team as a reward.

– There has been a bit of a setback with corona and other things that have meant that he has not felt that he has been rewarded for the work he has done over several years. Being able to show it on this stage is crazy fun, says Tjelta.

Tjelta praises teammates Bjørnar Sandnes Lillefosse and Magnus Tuv Myhre for the way they have supported Mezngi.

– It is clear that it is tougher to win a medal in the Olympics and World Championships, but there is a high level in the European Championships as well. That we have even more Norwegians who come up and win medals is inspiring for the rest of us, says Lillefosse to NRK.

Mezngi has moved around Norway, but in recent years lived with a host family just outside Stavanger.

– The host family means a lot to me, they give me a lot of energy. I rent from them and have done so for five years. They travel with me all the time, says Mezngi.

The article is in Norwegian

Tags: Zerei Kbrom Mezngi incredible silver meters

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