Wami on route to Vilamoura crown
Sean Wallace-Jones for IAAF
16 January 2000 - In a scenario reminiscent of her win at last year’s World Championships, Gete Wami came from behind in the very final stages of the women’s race of the XVIII Cross Italica, to shatter any hopes that Paula Radcliffe may have had of victory.
With her usual gutsy front running style, Radcliffe went early into the lead and stayed there for most of the 6600 metres of the race, heading a tightly bunched leading pack with Jackline Maranga and Lydia Cheromei running alongside her for most of the first five kilometres of the race.
An attempt at a show by Canada’s Cathy Butler faded rapidly as Radcliffe upped the pace, running in unison with Maranga and Cheromei.
Wami stayed in the centre of the pack for most of the race and it was only in the last stages of the final lap that Wami turned on the gas and passed Radcliffe and Maranga. Clearly feeling the effects of the earlier pace, Radcliffe kicked but was unable to make up any ground as Wami headed for the finish, now followed by Jackline Maranga who had also pulled away from the British runner.
"I was controlling the race almost all the way through. I like to be in front so I can see where I am going, but it was a little bit tough making all the running," said Radcliffe later.
"As usual, Gete just sat there and didn’t really help us at all. But then she never really does. Lydia (Cheromei) and Jackline tried to do something to help."
To no avail. Neither Maranga nor Radcliffe were able to resist the devastating final sprint of Wami. Cheromei had fallen behind the leaders in the middle stages of the last lap.
"I really knew that I would win as we went into the last lap," said Wami after the race.
"I wanted to win here as it was a race that I had never won before." Indeed, in last year’s edition, Wami came in second behind Morocco’s Zahra Ouaziz, who has yet to appear on this season’s cross country circuit.
