Tariku Bekele beats Paul Tergat in Oeiras (© Costa)
The 21st edition of the ‘Cross Internacional de Llodio (Spain) - the second meeting of the current IAAF Cross Country permit season - will take place on Sunday (Nov 28).
MEN - Rising stars look to challenge Joseph
As happens every year in Llodio the line-up will be of the highest calibre. A new crop of young and talented Ethiopians emerged last Sunday in Oeiras (Portugal) in the first race in the guise of Tariku Bekele, the World Junior 5000m bronze medallist, and Bado Worku, who finished with the silver at those track championships.
Both rising stars will be running on Sunday trying to perform as outstandingly as they did in Oeiras when the great Kenenisa Bekele’s younger brother clinched a narrow win from five-time World Cross Country champion Paul Tergat of Kenya and his compatriot Worku in third sandwiching the current World Marathon record holder between these two rising stars.
On a statistical note, it should be mentioned that the overall age of the two Ethiopians (33 years, since Bekele is 17 and Worku is still 16) is lower than Tergat, who is 35-year-old.
Tariku Bekele will arrive at Bilbao airport from Milan when he has spent the whole week to race over Llodio’s 9210m course. Bekele will have to defeat last year’s victor Tanzania’s Fabiano Joseph, who is making his season’s debut at cross country.
Late entry - Gebremariam
Ethiopia's double World Cross Country Championships silver medallist Gebre Gebremariam is a late entrant to Sunday's race. The announcement of his participation (which came this afternoon, 26 Nov) of the 20 year-old who came fourth in the Olympic 5000m this summer in Athens, adds a further dimension to what should be an interesting battle to capture the title from the Tanzanian.
The strong African challenge in Llodio also includes another two top Ethiopians, 2004 World bronze medallist in the short race Maregu Zewde and Yibeltal Admasu, eighth in the long race in Brussels.
The Kenyan contingent will be formed by John Cheruiyot Korir, sixth at the Athens Olympics over 10,000m and the holder of an impressive 27:05.14 clocking, Eliud Kirui, also sixth in the short race from this year’s Worlds and fourth in Oeiras last Sunday, plus the 8:11.44 steeplechaser David Chemweno. The latter is competing for the third week in a row on Spanish soil following his fourth and third positions in Torredonjimeno and Soria respectively.
Eritrea’s Yonas Kifle, winner on 7 November in Quintanar de la Orden (Spain) from Spain’s Juan Carlos de la Ossa, and sixth in Oeiras will also be in the hunt for the first spots.
De la Ossa keeps European hopes alive
Local hopes rest on reigning European Cross Country silver medallist Juan Carlos de la Ossa, runner-up last year. De la Ossa turned 28 yesterday and already will be making his third outing this winter with a runners-up place in Quintanar, and a victory in Torredonjimeno the following week already to his credit.
European 10,000m champion José Manuel Martínez, third in Torredonjimeno behind De la Ossa and Admasu, should also be in the top-ten on Sunday.
WOMEN - Kidane versus Timbilil
The women’s race will be held over 5630m and witness likely a battle between Ethiopia’s Werknesh Kidane and Kenya’s Alice Timbilil with the former playing the role of favourite thanks to her overwhelming win last Sunday in Soria from her compatriot Merima Hashim, who is also in the Llodio field.
But Timbilil will try to defend last year’s win in Llodio after a convincing victory last weekend in Oeiras.
Kidane and Timbilil had a memorable battle for minor places at the last World Cross Country Championships in Brussels with the Ethiopian prevailing over the Kenyan, taking bronze medal and to Timbilil’s fourth place respectively.
Barsosio on the rise again
Kenya’s Sally Barsosio had her first success in Llodio. Eleven years ago at the age of 15, when she took the 1995 race win. The 1997 World 10,000m champion made a praiseworthy comeback to the world’s elite last year when she took tenth place in the long race at the Worlds. Barsosio came third in Soria last week far behind (53 seconds) Kidane and her goal this Sunday will be at least to narrow that gap.
Portugal’s Helena Sampaio, Ines Monteiro and Marina Bastos alongside Spain’s Jacqueline Martín will try to salvage the European pride.
Emeterio Valiente for the IAAF
