Jakob Ingebrigtsen of Norway will be aiming to cap an impressive year when he steps up to the senior ranks at the European Cross Country Championships ©Getty Images

Olympic champion Jakob Ingebrigtsen of Norway will be aiming to cap a breakthrough year when he lines up as the youngest competitor in the men’s senior race at the European Cross Country Championships.

Ingebrigtsen, 21, is unlikely to be phased by the step up having claimed gold on the track in the men’s 1500 metres at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics earlier this year.

The Norwegian has a brilliant record at junior level in this event, having won gold at four successive editions in the under-20 race between 2016 and 2019.

The coronavirus pandemic forced last year’s edition to be cancelled, but Ingebrigtsen could potentially be in line for a double success in Dublin - with Norway strongly fancied in the team competition.

Jakob’s brother Filip Ingebrigtsen also features as does Zerei Kbrom, who will make his major championship debut for Norway, having switched allegiances from Eritrea in March last year.

The winner of the men’s under-23 race at the last edition in 2019 Jimmy Gressier of France also steps up to senior competition.

All three medallists from two years ago in the men’s senior race also feature - champion Robel Fsiha of Sweden, silver medallist Aras Kaya of Turkey and bronze Yemaneberhan Crippa of Italy.

Yasemin Can of Turkey will be aiming to win a fifth successive title when she lines up in the women's senior race at the European Cross-Country Championships ©Getty Images
Yasemin Can of Turkey will be aiming to win a fifth successive title when she lines up in the women's senior race at the European Cross-Country Championships ©Getty Images

In the senior women’s race Yasemin Can of Turkey will be seeking to become only the second athlete to win a senior race for five successive years.

Can has triumphed at each edition from 2016 to 2019 and if she wins in Dublin would join Ukraine’s Sergey Lebid, who won five successive senior crowns from 2001 to 2005.

Can’s rivals are expected to include Konstanze Klosterhalfen of Germany, who has good junior pedigree in this race having won under-20 titles in 2015 and 2016 and junior silver in 2017.

The silver medallist behind Can two years ago was Norway’s Karoline Bjerkeli Grovdal, who will be looking to win an elusive senior gold, but did triumph in the under-20 event when Dublin last hosted these championships in 2009.

Organising Committee chair Liam Hennessey said: "It’s great to see such a high calibre of entries for the SPAR European Cross Country Championships. Despite the recent new COVID-19 variant, we are looking forward to hosting the event once again and we are confident the event will go ahead in all safety for athletes and spectators alike, respecting the stringent safety norms applicable in Ireland."

Seven races are scheduled to take place tomorrow - men’s and women’s under-20 races, men’s and women’s under-23 races, mixed relay and the men’s and women’s senior races.