Christian Belz wins 5000m at Swiss national championships...

LUGANO, Switzerland--In preparation for the European Championships in Barcelona, Spain at the end of this month, former University of Washington standout Christian Belz (left/photo by Sean Hartnett) won the national title over 5000 meters as the Swiss championships concluded Saturday.

Belz, who was a two-time Olympian for his country, and had battled a series of injuries over the last several seasons, easily took the national title in the 5000, running a modest 14:01.85.

Belz will represent Switzerland in the European championships in the 10000 meters, thanks to his mark of 28:56.05 in May at the Payton Jordan Invitational at Stanford University.

Another former Husky, Martin Bingisser, finished fifth in the shot put Saturday after winning the national title in the hammer throw. Bingisser threw 47-8.5 (14.54m).

Complete results from the Swiss national championships can be accessed here.