2011 European Team Championships Super League
Men -- 3000 metres steeplechase
Table:
Rank
Name
Nationality
Time
Notes
Points

1
Vincent Zouaoui Dandrieux
France
8:30.85
SB
12

2
Steffen Uliczka
Germany
8:31.01
SB
11

3
Ildar Minshin
Russia
8:34.56
DQ (doping)
0

3
Vadym Slobodenyuk
Ukraine
8:37.19

10

4
Abdelaziz Merzougui
Spain
8:38.75

9

5
Patrick Nasti
Italy
8:40.30

8

6
Tomasz Szymkowiak
Poland
8:41.50

7

7
Alberto Paulo
Portugal
8:44.17

6

8
Luke Gunn
Great Britain
8:45.41

5

9
Illia Slavenski
Belarus
8:49.63

4

10
Eric Senorski
Sweden
8:53.14

3

11
Jan Kreisinger
Czech Republic
9:02.24

2

From the table as well as the context paragraphs provided at the end.

Answer the following question: What is the capital of the country of the runner who finished behind Abdelaziz Merzougui at the 2011 European Team Championships Super League 3000 metres steeplechase ? Provide just your answer in a JSON object {"answer": "YOUR ANSWER"}.

Vincent Zouaoui-Dandrieux ( born 12 October 1980 ) is a French long-distance runner who specialises in the steeplechase . He represented France at the 2008 Beijing Olympics and at the 2012 London Olympics and competed at the World Championships in Athletics in 2007 , 2009 and 2011 . His personal best for the event is 8:14.74 minutes . Born in Saint-Michel , Charente , he began competing in 1997 and in his first international selections for France he came 52nd in the junior race at the 1999 European Cross Country Championships , then went on to finish ninth in the steeplechase at the 2001 European Athletics U23 Championships . At the 2003 Summer Universiade he won his first international medal , taking the silver in the steeplechase behind Spain 's César Pérez . He represented France at the 2005 Mediterranean Games in June , coming sixth , and improved his steeplechase personal best 8:16.55 minutes at the KBC Night of Athletics . This led to an appearance at the 2007 World Championships in Athletics , where he was eliminated in the first round . At the 2008 IAAF Golden League 's Meeting Gaz de France in Paris , he came fifth in his speciality , improving his best time to 8:14.74 minutes and finishing one place behind fellow Frenchman Bouabdellah Tahri . Alongside Tahri and Mahiedine Mekhissi-Benabbad , he was one of three representatives for France in the men 's steeplechase at the 2008 Beijing Olympics , but Zouaoui-Dandrieux did not progress pass the heats stage . In 2009 , he won the national title in the steeplechase at the French Athletics Championships . At the 2009 European Team Championships he helped France to fourth place in the rankings with his silver medal performance in the steeplechase behind Mustafa Mohamed . He returned to the global stage at the 2009 World Championships in Athletics , but was again eliminated in the first round .
France ( French : [ fʁɑ̃s ] ( listen ) ) , officially the French Republic ( French : République française , pronounced [ ʁepyblik fʁɑ̃sɛːz ] ( listen ) ) , is a country whose territory consists of metropolitan France in Western Europe and several overseas regions and territories . [ XIII ] The metropolitan area of France extends from the Mediterranean Sea to the English Channel and the North Sea , and from the Rhine to the Atlantic Ocean . It is bordered by Belgium , Luxembourg and Germany to the northeast , Switzerland and Italy to the east , and Andorra and Spain to the south . The overseas territories include French Guiana in South America and several islands in the Atlantic , Pacific and Indian oceans . The country 's 18 integral regions ( five of which are situated overseas ) span a combined area of 643,801 square kilometres ( 248,573 sq mi ) and a total population of 67.02 million ( as of July 2019 [ update ] ) . France is a unitary semi-presidential republic with its capital in Paris , the country 's largest city and main cultural and commercial centre . Other major urban areas include Lyon , Marseille , Toulouse , Bordeaux , Lille and Nice . France , including its overseas territories , has the most number of time zones of any country , with a total of 12 . During the Iron Age , what is now metropolitan France was inhabited by the Gauls , a Celtic people . Rome annexed the area in 51 BC , holding it until the arrival of Germanic Franks in 476 , who formed the Kingdom of Francia . The Treaty of Verdun of 843 partitioned Francia into East Francia , Middle Francia and West Francia . West Francia , which became the Kingdom of France in 987 , emerged as a major European power in the Late Middle Ages , following its victory in the Hundred Years ' War ( 1337-1453 ) .
Steffen Uliczka ( born 17 July 1984 in Preetz ) is a German track and field athlete who mainly competes in the 3000 metres steeplechase . He was the 2010 winner of the Warandecross cross country meeting in Tilburg , Netherlands . In 2014 he turned to long-distance running .
Germany ( German : Deutschland , German pronunciation : [ ˈdɔʏtʃlant ] ) , constitutionally the Federal Republic of Germany ( German : Bundesrepublik Deutschland , listen ( help·info ) ) , [ f ] is a country in Central and Western Europe . It borders Denmark to the north , Poland and the Czech Republic to the east , Austria and Switzerland to the south , France to the southwest , and Luxembourg , Belgium , and the Netherlands to the west . Germany includes 16 constituent states , covers an area of 357,386 square kilometres ( 137,988 sq mi ) , and has a largely temperate seasonal climate . With 83 million inhabitants , it is the second most populous state of Europe after Russia , the most populous state lying entirely in Europe , as well as the most populous member state of the European Union . Germany is a very decentralised country . Its capital and largest metropolis is Berlin , while Frankfurt serves as its financial capital and has the country 's busiest airport . Various Germanic tribes have inhabited the northern parts of modern Germany since classical antiquity . A region named Germania was documented before AD 100 . Beginning in the 10th century , German territories formed a central part of the Holy Roman Empire . During the 16th century , northern German regions became the centre of the Protestant Reformation . After the collapse of the Holy Roman Empire , the German Confederation was formed in 1815 . The German revolutions of 1848-49 resulted in the Frankfurt Parliament establishing major democratic rights .
Ildar Salikhovich Minshin ( Russian : Ильдар Салихович Миншин ; born 5 February 1985 ) is a Russian track and field athlete who mainly competes in the 3000 metres steeplechase . He was banned for two years , starting 25 August 2016 , due to abnormalities in his biological passport .
Russia ( Russian : Росси́я , tr . Rossiya , IPA : [ rɐˈsʲijə ] ) , or the Russian Federation , [ e ] is a European country located in Eastern Europe with a vast expanse of territory that stretches across Northern Asia . At 17,125,200 square kilometres ( 6,612,100 sq mi ) , it is by far the largest country in the world by area , covering more than one-eighth of the Earth 's inhabited land area , spanning eleven time zones , and bordering 16 sovereign nations . The territory of Russia extends from the Baltic Sea in the west to the Pacific Ocean in the east , and from the Arctic Ocean in the north to the Black Sea and the Caucasus in the south . With 146.7 million inhabitants living in the country 's 85 federal subjects as of 2020 , Russia is the most populous nation in Europe and the ninth-most populous nation in the world . Russia 's capital and largest city is Moscow ; other major urban areas include Saint Petersburg , Novosibirsk , Yekaterinburg , Nizhny Novgorod , Kazan and Chelyabinsk . The East Slavs emerged as a recognizable group in Europe between the 3rd and 8th centuries AD . Founded and ruled by a Varangian warrior elite and their descendants , the medieval state of Rus arose in the 9th century . In 988 it adopted Orthodox Christianity from the Byzantine Empire , beginning the synthesis of Byzantine and Slavic cultures that defined Russian culture for the next millennium . Rus ultimately disintegrated into a number of smaller states , until it was finally reunified by the Grand Duchy of Moscow in the 15th century . By the 18th century , the nation had greatly expanded through conquest , annexation , and exploration to become the Russian Empire , which was the third largest empire in history , stretching from Poland on the west to Alaska on the east . Following the Russian Revolution , the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic ( Russian SFSR ) became the largest and leading constituent of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics ( USSR/Soviet Union ) , the world 's first constitutionally socialist state .
Vadym Slobodenyuk ( Ukrainian : Вадим Слободенюк ; born 17 March 1981 in Rivne ) is a Ukrainian runner . He competed in the 3000 m steeplechase event at the 2004 and 2012 Summer Olympics .
Ukraine ( Ukrainian : Україна , romanized : Ukrayina , pronounced [ ʊkrɐˈjinɐ ] ( listen ) ) is a country in Eastern Europe . It is bordered by Russia to the north-east ; Belarus to the north ; Poland , Slovakia and Hungary to the west ; and Romania , Moldova , and the Black Sea to the south . Ukraine is currently in a territorial dispute with Russia over the Crimean Peninsula , which Russia annexed in 2014 . Including Crimea , Ukraine has an area of 603,628 km2 ( 233,062 sq mi ) , making it both the largest country entirely within Europe and the 46th largest country in the world . Excluding Crimea , Ukraine has a population of about 42 million , making it the 32nd most populous country in the world . Its capital and largest city is Kiev . Ukrainian is the official language and its alphabet is Cyrillic . The dominant religion in the country is Eastern Orthodoxy . The territory of modern Ukraine has been inhabited since 32,000 BC . During the Middle Ages , the area was a key centre of East Slavic culture , with the powerful state of Kievan Rus ' forming the basis of Ukrainian identity . Following its fragmentation in the 13th century , the territory was contested , ruled and divided by a variety of powers , including the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth , Austria-Hungary , the Ottoman Empire and Russia . A Cossack republic emerged and prospered during the 17th and 18th centuries , but its territory was eventually split between Poland and the Russian Empire .
Abdel Aziz Merzougui Noureddine ( born 30 August 1991 ) is a Spanish runner . He competed in the 3000 metres steeplechase at the 2012 and 2016 Olympics .
Spain ( Spanish : España [ esˈpaɲa ] ( listen ) ) , officially the Kingdom of Spain ( Spanish : Reino de España ) , [ a ] [ b ] is a country in Southwestern Europe with some pockets of Spanish territory across the Strait of Gibraltar and the Atlantic Ocean . Its continental European territory is situated on the Iberian Peninsula . Its territory also includes two archipelagoes : the Canary Islands off the coast of Africa , and the Balearic Islands in the Mediterranean Sea . The African enclaves of Ceuta , Melilla , and Peñón de Vélez de la Gomera make Spain the only European country to have a physical border with an African country ( Morocco ) . [ h ] Several small islands in the Alboran Sea are also part of Spanish territory . The country 's mainland is bordered to the south and east by the Mediterranean Sea except for a small land boundary with Gibraltar ; to the north and northeast by France , Andorra , and the Bay of Biscay ; and to the west and northwest by Portugal and the Atlantic Ocean . With an area of 505,990 km2 ( 195,360 sq mi ) , Spain is the largest country in Southern Europe , the second largest country in Western Europe and the European Union , and the fourth largest country in the European continent . By population ( about 47 million ) , Spain is the sixth largest in Europe and the fifth in the European Union . Spain 's capital and largest city is Madrid ; other major urban areas include Barcelona , Valencia , Seville , Zaragoza , Málaga and Bilbao . Modern humans first arrived in the Iberian Peninsula around 35,000 years ago . Iberian cultures along with ancient Phoenician , Greek , Celtic and Carthaginian settlements developed on the peninsula until it came under Roman rule around 200 BCE , after which the region was named Hispania , based on the earlier Phoenician name Sp ( a ) n or Spania . At the end of the Western Roman Empire the Germanic tribal confederations migrated from Central Europe , invaded the Iberian peninsula and established relatively independent realms in its western provinces , including the Suebi , Alans and Vandals .
Patrick Nasti ( born 30 August 1989 ) is an Italian athlete competing primarily in the 3000 metres steeplechase .
Italy ( Italian : Italia [ iˈtaːlja ] ( listen ) ) , officially the Italian Republic ( Italian : Repubblica Italiana [ reˈpubblika itaˈljaːna ] ) , is a European country consisting of a peninsula delimited by the Alps and surrounded by several islands . Italy is located in south-central Europe , and it is also considered a part of Western Europe . The country covers a total area of 301,340 km2 ( 116,350 sq mi ) and shares land borders with France , Switzerland , Austria , Slovenia , and the enclaved microstates of Vatican City and San Marino . Italy has a territorial exclave in Switzerland ( Campione ) and a maritime exclave in the Tunisian Sea ( Lampedusa ) . With around 60 million inhabitants , Italy is the third-most populous member state of the European Union . The capital and largest city is Rome ; other major cities are Milan , Naples , Turin , Palermo , Genoa , Bologna , Florence and Venice . Due to its central geographic location in Southern Europe and the Mediterranean , Italy has historically been home to myriad peoples and cultures . In addition to the various ancient peoples dispersed throughout what is now modern-day Italy , the most predominant being the Indo-European Italic peoples who gave the peninsula its name , beginning from the classical era , Phoenicians and Carthaginians founded colonies mostly in insular Italy , Greeks established settlements in the so-called Magna Graecia of Southern Italy , while Etruscans and Celts inhabited central and northern Italy respectively . An Italic tribe known as the Latins formed the Roman Kingdom in the 8th century BC , which eventually became a republic with a government of the Senate and the People . The Roman Republic initially conquered and assimilated its neighbours on the Italian peninsula , eventually expanding and conquering parts of Europe , North Africa and Asia . By the first century BC , the Roman Empire emerged as the dominant power in the Mediterranean Basin and became a leading cultural , political and religious centre , inaugurating the Pax Romana , a period of more than 200 years during which Italy 's law , technology , economy , art , and literature developed . Italy remained the homeland of the Romans and the metropole of the empire , whose legacy can also be observed in the global distribution of culture , governments , Christianity and the Latin script .
Tomasz Szymkowiak ( born July 5 , 1983 in Września ) is a Polish track and field athlete who mainly competes in the 3000 metres steeplechase .
Poland ( Polish : Polska [ ˈpɔlska ] ( listen ) ) , officially the Republic of Poland ( Polish : Rzeczpospolita Polska [ c ] [ ʐɛt͡ʂpɔˈspɔlita ˈpɔlska ] ( listen ) ) , is a country located in Central Europe . It is divided into 16 administrative subdivisions , covering an area of 312,696 square kilometres ( 120,733 sq mi ) , and has a largely temperate seasonal climate . With a population of nearly 38.5 million people , Poland is the fifth most populous member state of the European Union . Poland 's capital and largest metropolis is Warsaw . Other major cities include Kraków , Łódź , Wrocław , Poznań , Gdańsk , and Szczecin . Poland is bordered by the Baltic Sea , Lithuania , and Russia 's Kaliningrad Oblast to the north , Belarus and Ukraine to the east , Slovakia and the Czech Republic to the south , and Germany to the west . The history of human activity on Polish soil spans almost 500,000 years . Throughout the Iron Age the area became extensively diverse , with various cultures and tribes settling on the vast Central European Plain . However , it was the Western Polans who dominated the region and gave Poland its name . The establishment of Polish statehood can be traced to AD 966 , when Mieszko I , ruler of the realm coextensive with the territory of present-day Poland , converted to Christianity . The Kingdom of Poland was founded in 1025 , and in 1569 it cemented its longstanding political association with the Grand Duchy of Lithuania by signing the Union of Lublin . This union formed the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth , one of the largest ( over 1,000,000 square kilometres - 400,000 square miles ) and most populous countries of 16th and 17th century Europe , with a uniquely liberal political system which adopted Europe 's first written national constitution , the Constitution of 3 May 1791 .
Alberto Paulo ( born 3 October 1985 ) is a Portuguese track and field athlete who mainly competes in the 3000 metres steeplechase .
Portugal ( Portuguese : [ puɾtuˈɣal ] ) , officially the Portuguese Republic ( Portuguese : República Portuguesa [ ʁɛˈpuβlikɐ puɾtuˈɣezɐ ] ) , [ note 5 ] is a country located mostly on the Iberian Peninsula , in southwestern Europe . It is the westernmost sovereign state of mainland Europe , being bordered to the west and south by the Atlantic Ocean and to the north and east by Spain . Its territory also includes the Atlantic archipelagos of the Azores and Madeira , both autonomous regions with their own regional governments . Portugal is the oldest nation state on the Iberian Peninsula and one of the oldest in Europe and the world , its territory having been continuously settled , invaded and fought over since prehistoric times . The pre-Celtic people , Iberians , Celts , Carthaginians and Romans were followed by the invasions of the Visigoths and Suebi Germanic peoples . After the Muslim conquests of the Iberian Peninsula , most of the territory was part of Al-Andalus until their expulsion . Portugal as a country was established during the early Christian Reconquista . Founded in 868 , the County of Portugal gained prominence after the Battle of São Mamede in 1128 . The Kingdom of Portugal was later proclaimed following the Battle of Ourique in 1139 , and independence from León was recognised by the Treaty of Zamora in 1143 . On 12 December 2017 , the Portuguese Navy commemorated the 700th anniversary of its official creation by King Denis of Portugal . Tracing its origins back to the 12th century , it is the oldest continuously serving navy in the world . In the 15th and 16th centuries , Portugal established the first global empire , becoming one of the world 's major economic , political and military powers .
Luke Gunn ( born 22 March 1985 ) is a British male track and field athlete who specialises in the 3000 metres steeplechase . He married fellow athlete Hannah England in 2013 . Born in Derby , Derbyshire , England , Luke Gunn studied Sport and Material Science at Birmingham University , graduating in 2006 . Gunn was AAA National Champion for Steeplechase in 2009 . He was United Kingdom 3000 m Steeplechase Champion between 2009 and 2012 . Gunn was placed 4th in the Men 's 3000 metres steeplechase at the 2005 Summer Universiade . Luke Gunn was placed 5th in the 3000 metres steeplechase at the 2014 European Team Championships Super League . Gunn was 5th in the 3000 metres steeplechase at the 2010 European Team Championships Super League . Gunn was placed 6th in the Men 's 3000 metres steeplechase at the 2007 European Athletics U23 Championships . Gunn finished 6th in the Men 's 3000 metres steeplechase at the 2005 European Athletics U23 Championships . Gunn was 7th in the Junior men individual 5.64km at the 2004 European Cross Country Championships . Gunn represented England at the Commonwealth Games in 2006 , 2010 and 2014 .
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland , commonly known as the United Kingdom ( UK or U.K. ) or Britain , [ note 11 ] is a sovereign country located off the north­western coast of the European mainland . Existing under its current name since 1921 , the United Kingdom includes the island of Great Britain , the north­eastern part of the island of Ireland , and many smaller islands . Northern Ireland shares a land border with the Republic of Ireland . Otherwise , the United Kingdom is surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean , with the North Sea to the east , the English Channel to the south and the Celtic Sea to the southwest , giving it the 12th-longest coastline in the world . The Irish Sea separates Great Britain and Ireland . The total area of the United Kingdom is 94,000 square miles ( 240,000 km2 ) . The United Kingdom is a unitary parliamentary democracy and constitutional monarchy . [ note 12 ] The current monarch is Queen Elizabeth II , who has reigned since 1952 , making her the world 's longest-serving current head of state . The United Kingdom 's capital and largest city is London , a global city and financial centre with an urban area population of 10.3 million . Other major cities include Birmingham , Manchester , Glasgow , Leeds and Liverpool . The United Kingdom consists of four constituent countries : England , Scotland , Wales , and Northern Ireland . Their capitals are London , Edinburgh , Cardiff , and Belfast , respectively .
Belarus ( /bɛləˈruːs/ ; Belarusian : Беларусь , IPA : [ bʲɛlaˈrusʲ ] ) , officially the Republic of Belarus ( Belarusian : Рэспубліка Беларусь , Russian : Республика Беларусь ) , formerly known by its Russian name Byelorussia or Belorussia ( Russian : Белоруссия ) , is a landlocked country in Eastern Europe bordered by Russia to the northeast , Ukraine to the south , Poland to the west , and Lithuania and Latvia to the northwest . Its capital and most populous city is Minsk . Over 40% of its 207,600 square kilometres ( 80,200 sq mi ) is forested . Its major economic sectors are service industries and manufacturing . Until the 20th century , different states at various times controlled the lands of modern-day Belarus , including the Principality of Polotsk ( 11th to 14th centuries ) , the Grand Duchy of Lithuania , the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth , and the Russian Empire . In the aftermath of the 1917 Russian Revolution , Belarus declared independence as the Belarusian People 's Republic , which was conquered by Soviet Russia . The Socialist Soviet Republic of Byelorussia became a founding constituent republic of the Soviet Union in 1922 and was renamed as the Byelorussian Soviet Socialist Republic ( Byelorussian SSR ) . Belarus lost almost half of its territory to Poland after the Polish-Soviet War of 1919-1921 . Much of the borders of Belarus took their modern shape in 1939 , when some lands of the Second Polish Republic were reintegrated into it after the Soviet invasion of Poland , and were finalized after World War II . During WWII , military operations devastated Belarus , which lost about a quarter of its population and half of its economic resources . The republic was redeveloped in the post-war years . In 1945 the Byelorussian SSR became a founding member of the United Nations , along with the Soviet Union and the Ukrainian SSR .
Sweden ( Swedish : Sverige [ ˈsvæ̌rjɛ ] ( listen ) ) , officially the Kingdom of Sweden ( Swedish : Konungariket Sverige [ ˈkôːnɵŋaˌriːkɛt ˈsvæ̌rjɛ ] ( listen ) ) , is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe . It borders Norway to the west and north and Finland to the east , and is connected to Denmark in the southwest by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund Strait . At 450,295 square kilometres ( 173,860 sq mi ) , Sweden is the largest country in Northern Europe , the third-largest country in the European Union and the fifth largest country in Europe by area . The capital city is Stockholm . Sweden has a total population of 10.3 million of which 2.5 million have a foreign background . Persons who have foreign backgrounds are defined as persons who are foreign born , or born in Sweden with foreign born parents . It has a low population density of 22 inhabitants per square kilometre ( 57/sq mi ) and the highest urban concentration is in the central and southern half of the country . Sweden is part of the geographical area of Fennoscandia . The climate is in general mild for its northerly latitude due to significant maritime influence . In spite of the high latitude , Sweden often has warm continental summers , being located in between the North Atlantic , the Baltic Sea and the vast Eurasian Russian landmass . The general climate and environment varies significantly from the south and north due to the vast latitudal difference and much of Sweden has reliably cold and snowy winters . Southern Sweden is predominantly agricultural , while the north is heavily forested and includes a portion of the Scandinavian Mountains .
Jan Kreisinger ( Czech pronunciation : [ ˈjan ˈkrajsɪŋɡr̩ ] ; born 6 September 1984 in Žatec ) is a Czech long-distance runner . At the 2012 Summer Olympics , he competed in the Men 's marathon , finishing in 67th place .
The Czech Republic ( /ˈtʃɛk -/ ( listen ) ; Czech : Česká republika [ ˈtʃɛskaː ˈrɛpublɪka ] ( listen ) ) , also known by its short-form name , Czechia ( /ˈtʃɛkiə/ ( listen ) ; Czech : Česko [ ˈtʃɛsko ] ( listen ) ) , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Poland to the northeast , Slovakia to the southeast , Austria to the south , and Germany to the west . The Czech Republic is a landlocked country with a hilly landscape that covers an area of 78,866 square kilometers ( 30,450 sq mi ) with a mostly temperate continental climate and oceanic climate . It is a unitary parliamentary republic , with 10.7 million inhabitants . Its capital and largest city is Prague , with 1.3 million residents ; other major cities are Brno , Ostrava , Olomouc and Pilsen . The Czech Republic includes the historical territories of Bohemia , Moravia , and Czech Silesia . The Czech state was formed in the late ninth century as the Duchy of Bohemia under the Great Moravian Empire . In 1002 , the duchy was formally recognized as an Imperial State of the Holy Roman Empire along with the Kingdom of Germany , the Kingdom of Burgundy , the Kingdom of Italy ; and became the Kingdom of Bohemia in 1198 , reaching its greatest territorial extent in the 14th century . Prague was the imperial seat in periods between the 14th and 17th century . The Protestant Bohemian Reformation of the 15th century led to the Hussite Wars , the first of many conflicts with the Catholic Church . Following the Battle of Mohács in 1526 , the whole Crown of Bohemia was gradually integrated into the Habsburg Monarchy . The Protestant Bohemian Revolt ( 1618-20 ) against the Catholic Habsburgs led to the Thirty Years ' War . After the Battle of the White Mountain , the Habsburgs consolidated their rule , eradicated Protestantism , reimposed Catholicism , and adopted a policy of gradual Germanization .