Francine Niyomukunzi wins at the Cross Internacional Zornotza in Amorebieta (© Asociacion ADOC)
Rodrigue Kwizera and Francine Niyomukunzi completed an unprecedented Burundian double at the Cross Internacional Zornotza – the first Gold event of this season’s World Athletics Cross Country Tour – in Amorebieta on Sunday (20).
Niyomukunzi won the women’s race by more than a minute, while Kwizera kicked ahead on the final lap to take the men’s race.
Uganda’s Dan Kibet went off like a bullet in the men’s 8.7km event, covering the opening kilometre in a swift 2:47, followed only by his compatriots Oscar Chelimo and Kenneth Kiprop as well as pre-race favourite Kwizera.
Chelimo, the 2022 world 5000m bronze medallist, took turns with Kibet at the front with the second kilometre covered in 2:50. Teenager Kiprop remained at the back of the lead quartet but was starting to struggle.
The pace settled on the second lap, which was covered in 6:03. With 14 minutes on the clock, Kwizera moved into the lead for the first time and his first change of speed was enough to leave Kiprop behind. The lead trio reached the bell together, but Kwizera then launched a devastating burst of speed on the final lap – covered in 5:48 – to win by 12 seconds from Chelimo, 25:29 to 25:41. Kibet was a further eight seconds behind while a fading Kiprop was overtaken in the later stages by Kenya’s Mathew Kipchumba Kipsang.
“It was a tough race for me because it was hot,” said Kwizera. “The first kilometres were quite fast and I preferred to stay at the back of the leading pack; then I moved to the front to asses my rivals’ energy and at the bell I decided to push hard, not to wait to the later stages. It’s important for me to accumulate points for the Cross Country Tour as I have been the winner for the last two seasons. I’ll next race in Atapuerca on Sunday.”
In the women’s 8.7km race, 2021 winner Niyomukunzi took command from the outset, closely followed by Spanish marathon record-holder Majida Maayouf. They slowly began to open up a gap on a chase quintet comprising Hungary’s Lili Anna Vindics Toth, Ecuador’s Katherine Tisalema and the Spanish trio of Carolina Robles, Cristina Ruiz and Ángela Viciosa.
Maayouf couldn’t live with Niyomukunzi’s swift cadence for much longer, though, and the Burundian reached the 3km mark with a four-second lead over Maayouf, herself 16 seconds ahead of Vindics-Toth and Robles.
At the bell, Niyomukunzi’s lead had grown to 44 seconds and she extended that to more than a minute by the time she reached the finish line in 30:07. On the final lap, Maayouf managed to dispose of Robles’ challenge while Vindics-Toth finished fourth.
“I decided to push from the start, but Maayouf joined me in the lead so I kept on increasing the pace and fortunately I broke away from her,” said Niyomukunzi, who’ll also be racing in Atapuerca next weekend. “I felt quite strong throughout the race.”
Emeterio Valiente for World Athletics
Leading results
Men (8.7km)
1 Rodrigue Kwizera (BDI) 25:29
2 Oscar Chelimo (UGA) 25:41
3 Dan Kibet (UGA) 25:49
4 Mathew Kipchumba Kipsang (KEN) 26:07
5 Kenneth Kiprop (UGA) 26:16
6 Egide Ntakarutimana (BDI) 27:09
7 Nassim Hassaous (ESP) 27:15
8 Fernando Carro (ESP) 27:18
9 Abdisa Fayisa (ETH) 27:33
10 Abderrahman El Khayami (ESP) 27:35
Women (8.7km)
1 Francine Niyomukunzi (BDI) 30:07
2 Majida Maayouf (ESP) 31:11
3 Carolina Robles (ESP) 31:19
4 Lili Anna Vindics-Toth (HUN) 31:34
5 Cristina Ruiz (ESP) 31:46
6 Carla Arce (ESP) 31:51
7 Katherine Tisalema (ECU) 31:56
8 Angela Viciosa (ESP) 32:08
9 Azucena Díaz (ESP) 32:53
10 Irene Pelayo (ESP) 33:05
