Posted: February 7, 2004

Athletics: Mondor To Double At World Cross

By David Monti

(c) 2004 Race Results Weekly, all rights reserved < RaceResultsWeekly.com>

Canada's rising middle-distance star Emilie Mondor has decided to double at the 2004 IAAF World Cross Country Championships in March. "The big news is that I will be doubling at World Cross," said Mondor in an e-mail message to RRW. "Hard weekend, but focus is 100% on the 8-K. Still, you know that I always give my best for any races I do."

The championships will be held in Brussels on 20 and 21 March. The women's 8-K will be constested on the first day and the 4-K on the second day. Canada plans to emphasize the women's 4-K team, according to Mondor, and wouldn't let Mondor travel to Brussels just to run the 8-K.

"Canada wouldn't send me only on the 8-K!" added Mondor, "even if I would win a medal. That is Canada. Anyway, they want to have a good team on the 4-K, so I decided that it would be OK to race it after."

Mondor briefly held the Canadian record for 5000m last summer when she ran 14:59.68 in the first round of the IAAF World Championships in Athletics. Courtney Babcock surpassed that mark in the finals (14:54.98) where Mondor finished 12th. Since then, Mondor has won the Arturo Barrios 5-K, Manchester Road Race, the Canadian cross country title, and the Belfast Int'l Cross Country. She should be a contender in Brussels for victory, along with American Deena Kastor and defending champion, Worknesh Kidane of Ethiopia.

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