Chloé Herbiet was pleased with her 10th place finish in Rome and described it as a beautiful achievement. Unlike the male competitors who were divided into two groups for the 10,000m race, the women’s race at the Euro in Rome was limited to a single series but included 33 competitors. This led to a fast-paced race as the leaders quickly lapped the slower runners.
Chloé Herbiet, a future Olympian who will compete in the marathon at the Paris Olympics, finished 10th with a time of 32:17.88 after being lapped. She expressed some frustration with how the race unfolded, saying, “I should have taken a chance at the beginning of the race. I am happy to have participated in such a competitive championship, but I was disappointed with how it played out. I had to make a decision: go with the first group and risk burning out or form a second group. Unfortunately, I thought the second group would be faster. I thought to myself, ‘darn, I should have stuck with the first group.'”
After being lapped, Chloé stayed close to the leaders for several laps. She mentioned, “The pace suited me better. I should have taken a chance at the beginning of the race. Of course, I wouldn’t have been able to finish the full 10,000m, but I could have lasted a bit longer. Towards the end of the race, the fatigue from working harder than the others played a role in the 6th to 12th place positions, and sprinting in the last 100 meters is not my strong suit. It was a great experience: a Top 10 finish in Europe is a significant achievement.”
Jana Van Lent, who finished 11th with a time of 32:35:23, was also thrilled with her performance. She said, “I need to process what happened. At one point, I didn’t know where I stood in the rankings, especially when we were being lapped and then passing other competitors. It was a challenging race. Setting the pace in the second group was tough. Coming in 11th, I am delighted. I would have gladly accepted this result beforehand. I am only 23 years old, and this is my first major championship. I have nothing to complain about.”