Posted: March 19, 2005

Athletics: Led By Bekele And Dibaba, Ethiopia Takes All Senior Titles

From David Monti

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

ST. GALMIER, France (19-Mar) -- Led by a come from behind victory in the senior men's 4-K by Kenenisa Bekele, Ethiopia swept the four individual and team titles on offer on the opening day of the 33rd IAAF World Cross Country Championships here today in unusually warm conditions. However, the Kenyan women took back the team prize from the Ethiopians in junior race, despite an overwhelming individual victory by Ethiopian Gelete Burka.

Bekele, who had won the both the senior short and long cross titles the last three years, remained calm when Saif Shaheen of Qatar, the former Stephen Cherono, launched a solo bid for victory at the beginning of the second two-kilometer lap. Bekele worked his way up to the former Kenyan, and seven minutes and 48 seconds into the race he took the lead, and never looked back. Like in previous years, Bekele had a solid cushion at the finish line, crossing five seconds ahead of Kenyan Abraham Chebii, who had worked his way up to second. Exhausted from his midrace surge, Shaheen faded to fourth. Kenyan Isaac Songok rounded out the podium in third, one second behind Chebii.

"It was good but it was difficult," said Bekele who is still mourning the death of his fiancée who died in January. "I did think about Alem, of course. But I didn't lose her, she is in my heart."

The Ethiopians went 1-5-6-9 to take the team title, 21 points to the Kenyans's 31. Qatar, led by Shaheen, finished a strong third with 34 points. Morocco was a distance fourth with 68.

That he only did a few weeks of solid preparation for these championships made Bekele's achievement all the more amazing.

"My preparation was not the same as last year," he commented. "The Qataris, they did exactly what I needed: they made the pace fast."

In the senior women's 8-K, defending champion Benita Johnson took out the pace from the start, but was swarmed by both the Ethiopian and Kenyan teams. Kenyans Alice Timbilil and Isabella Ochichi relentlessly pushed the pace, and the Australian had slipped back to trail the pack by the end of the third of four laps. The Ethiopians --Tirunesh Dibaba, Werknesh Kidane and Meselech Melkamu-- drafted the Kenyan duo, and late in the final lap Dibaba made her bid for victory. She pulled away easily along the long, grassy homestraight to claim the gold medal for both herself and her team. She later said that Bekele's victory had inspired her.

"When we see him win it gives us a great deal of motivation to win," said Dibaba, watching a replay of Bekele's run on a nearby television monitor.

Timbilil barely held off Werknesh Kidane to get the silver; both were give the same time. Melkamu was only two seconds back in fourth. Johnson faded to seventh.

"I ran the best I could," said Johnson plainly, adding that she was definitely affected by the heat.

Kenya got back on top in the junior women's race, which Ethiopian had dominated last year, scoring a scant ten points. Although Burka ran away from the field to win by the widest margin ever in the junior women's race (27 seconds), Kenya took the next three places with Veronica Wanjiru and Beatrice Chepngeno taking the silver and bronze medals, respectively.

The North Americans had a tough day, but enjoyed some bright spots. In the junior women's race the tiny Danette Doetzel, a Canadian college student at Michigan State who is transferring to Providence College next year, finished 13th. American Jorge Torres also finished 13th in the senior men's 4-K, sprinting past at least two athletes in the finish straight. Adam Goucher dropped out of the same race with knee pain. In the senior women's race, 40 year-old Colleen De Reuck also finished 13th, the top American.

"There was actually a little breeze to keep you cool," the unflappable De Reuck said cheerily.

Bekele is expected to return to the course tomorrow to defend his 12-K title, giving him the opportunity to win both the short and long cross events four years in a row, an unprecedentd accomplishment.