Commonwealth Games 5000 m champion Beatrice Chebet clocked 33:48 to win the women’s 10 km senior race at the World Cross Country Championships in Bathurst, Australia.
Ethiopia’s Tsigie Gebreselama took silver in 33:56 as another Kenyan Agnes Ngetich claimed bronze after clocking 34:00.
In the tightly contested race, World 5000 m record holder Letesenbet Gidey of Ethiopia stumbled and fell less than 100 m to the finish line.
Gidey showcased his intent to win her country’s first-ever gold medal in the senior women’s race since Tirunesh Dibaba in 2008.
However, fatigue checked in and collapsed with the tape well in her sights, allowing the hungry charging Chebet to overtake the world 10,000 m champion for first place.
Grace Loibach who triumphed at the Kenyan trials came home a distant fourth.
Chebet’s victory further stretches Kenya’s dominance in the senior race with consecutive titles since 2009.
In the men’s race Kenya failed to claim a medal in the 10 kilometres at the World Cross Country Championships as Uganda claimed back-to-back victories.
World Cross Country champion Geoffrey Kamworor was the best Kenyan finisher at fourth place in 29 minutes and 37 seconds as Commonwealth 10,000 m champion Jacob Kiplimo recorded 29:17.
Kiplimo, who claimed silver in 2019 in Aarhus, Denmark, was in splendid form, beating Ethiopia’s Berihu Aregawi to silver position in 29:25 as defending champion Joshua Cheptegei from Uganda settled for bronze in 29:37.
This is the first time in 14 years the men’s senior team has failed to claim a podium finish in the cross-country championship.
