(Reuters) – Kenenisa Bekele will be out to erase the one blemish on his extraordinary resume on Sunday by reclaiming the world cross country crown he unexpectedly relinquished last year.
The Ethiopian won both the long and short races at the World cross country Championships every year from 2002 to 2006 and was hot favourite to win again in 2007 when he lined up in Mombasa seeking a 28th off-track victory.
However, the streak came to an end when he dropped out suffering from heat exhaustion and watched Eritrea’s Zersenay Tadese take the title.
The 12km battle between the two Africans is the highlight of the competition in Edinburgh – and if their dry-run on the same course in January is anything to go by, it could be a classic encounter.
Last year’s Mombasa victory was Tadese’s only success in 12 races against the master.
But over a shorter 9.3km distance, Bekele could not break clear and crossed the line only a second ahead of his latest rival.
Still only 25, Bekele, three-times world 10,000m champion and 2004 Olympic 10,000m gold medallist on the track, has 11 world cross-country golds and is seeking to become the first man to win the world long course cross country title six times.
Kenyans John Ngugi and Paul Tergat both won five, while the shorter race is no longer held.
Uganda’s 21-year-old Moses Kipsiro, who pipped Tadese in the Cross Internacional de Italica in Seville in January when both men were given the same time, adds some extra spice to the upcoming encounter.
Bekele’s Ethiopian team-mates Sileshi Sihine, twice a world 10,000m silver medallist, Abebe Dinkessa and Gebregziabher Gebremariam should also be in the mix.
Eliud Kipchoge and Joseph Ebuya, who finished third and fourth in Edinburgh in January in the same time as Tadese, will spearhead the Kenyan challenge along with Gideon Ngatuny as their country seeks its first long course men’s title since Tergat won his fifth gold in 1999.
Kenya are seeking a third successive team victory, despite their preparations being disrupted by the recent violence in the country, having got back on track after Ethiopia [2004 and 2005 champions] ended their remarkable run of 18 in a row.
Tergat said earlier this month that retaining the title would help Kenya deal with the aftermath of the post-election violence.
“We can rise from the ashes like the proverbial phoenix and retain the world title,” he said.
Australia’s Craig Mottram is likely to be the only non-African challenging the front runners and, having a Scottish mother, he will be guaranteed good local support.
It was a similar story in the women’s race last year where Kenya-born Dutchwoman Lornah Kiplagat triumphed to prevent Tirunesh Dibaba making it three in a row.
But the Ethiopian, 10,000 metres champion on the track in Osaka last year, starts as favourite.
Her compatriot Gelete Burka, winner of the last two world short-course races in 2005 and 2006, could push her hard and knows the course, having won there in January.
Reuters
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