Santiponce (Seville), Spain – Uganda’s Moses Kipsiro captured a near photo-finish win from Eritrea’s reigning World Cross Country champion Zersenay Tadese at the ‘26th Cross Internacional de Itálica’ - the Spanish leg of the 2007/2008 IAAF Cross Country permit series held today on a quite nice day. In doing so the 21-year-old rising distance star reaffirmed he will definitely be in the hunt for the medals at the next IAAF World Cross Championships in Edinburgh. In addition, the reigning World 5000m bronze medallist Kipsiro became the first non-Ethiopian male winner for the last five years here.

Kipsiro maintains undefeated cross country streak

With the thermometer rising up to 20ºC, today’s weather conditions were completely different from those Tadese faced last weekend in Edinburgh where the Eritrean adopted unusually cautious tactics throughout the race. Back to his trademark front running, Tadese had only Kipsiro for company after the long opening (2100m). With the clock reading 11:45 the leading duo had a 11-second advantage over a group of five including World XC bronze medallist Bernard Kipyego, his fellow Kenyans Leonard Komon and Thomas Longosiwa, Ethiopia’s Tadese Tola plus Zimbabwe’s Cuthbert Nyasango.

During the slower following lap, covered in 6:01, Tadese and Kipsiro extended their margin to 15 seconds over a lonesome Komon, winner in Elgoibar last Sunday, and a massive 28 seconds over the main chase group.

The pattern of the race followed this theme until the latter stages. To give an idea on the frantic pace at the fore of the race, suffice it to say that a Mombasa medallist such as Kiprop had already lost 33 seconds and a top European like Chema Martínez was running 51 seconds adrift at the bell.

Delivering a magnificent display of running, Tadese and Kipsiro took turns but neither faltered a bit so everything seemed ready for a tight sprint. To the delight of the crowd the pair approached the finish lane absolutely even; all the talk by then was about Kipsiro’s superior final speed and the outcome of the sprint responded to that forecast although the Madrid-based Tadese’s resistance was more than fierce and he was given the same time as Kipsiro.

For the minor place on the podium the 20-year-old Komon held off the challenge of the fast-finishing Kiprop to take bronze position 24 seconds behind Kipsiro but five seconds ahead the Kenyan, while Nyasango completed a classy top-five another five seconds back. In the domestic battle Martínez was successful in 10th, 21 seconds clear of Juan Carlos de la Ossa.

An ecstatic Kipsiro, who remains unbeaten this winter campaign with four victories under his belt, commented after the race: “It’s wonderful as I have just beaten the reigning World champion, wow. I now return to Uganda to make my build-up for the national championships before facing the Worlds where I feel capable of anything.”

As for Tadese, who will turn 26 on 8 February, the Eritrean said: “I felt fine but Kipsiro was simply stronger than me at the end.”

Jepleting succeeds, Konovalova surprises - Women’s race

The women’s event had been billed as a thrilling encounter between two World bronze medallists from Osaka in the guise of the Kenyan pair of Eunice Jepkorir (3000m Steeplechase) and Priscah Jepleting (5000m) but a question mark had been raised after Spaniard Marta Domínguez’s one-second win ahead of Jepkorir last Wedneday at a 10km road race.

After a quiet first phase with all the favourites in contention it was Jepleting who kicked  ahead on the first of three long laps. The Kenyan powered clear of her rivals except for the diminutive Ethiopian Wude Ayalew Yimer, runner-up to Jepleting a week ago in Elgoibar. The first 2100m loop was covered in 6:36 and by then the leading duo had built a margin of 5 seconds over Russia’s Mariya Konovalova and Kenya’s Viola Kibiwott.

Midway into the second lap with 14 minutes on the clock Jepleting made her winning break opening a sizeable advantage on Yimer. At the bell (6:49 for the penultimate lap) the 2006 World Cross Country silver medallist in the short course race had 30 metres on Wude, herself another 20m over Konovalova.

The final lap witnessed a solo display by Jepleting and the interest turned to the scrap for the runner-up position as the 33-year-old Konovalova caught Wude with one kilometre left and it even seemed for a while that she could threatened Jepleting’s leadership. But the Osaka 5000m bronze medallist proved to have the race under control and kept the surprise Konovalova at bay to romp home in 25:49, three seconds clear of the 2006 European XC silver medallist who bettered a bunch of top Africans including third placed Wude and the Kenyan pair of Kibiwott and Jepkorir.

As for Domínguez, the reigning European Cross Country champion was never a factor and finished 12th, some 1:49 adrift of the winner.

The victor declared: “I’m really satisfied as I have had a very profitable Spanish tour with two victories in a row. Why did I push hard from the start? That’s athletics, let your legs run as much as possible.” Jepleting said that she’ll now return to Kenya to prepare for the National championships set for 17 February and the Kenyan trials for Edinburgh two weeks later. “

I’m training and competing well so my goal for XC Worlds is the gold medal.”
 
Asked about her track ambitions later in the year, a confident Jepleting, who has a 14:35.30 5000m career best, replied: “To improve on my Osaka 5000m bronze medal in Beijing and dip under the 14:30 barrier.”

Emeterio Valiente for the IAAF

Leading Results -

Men (10.8km):
1. Moses Kipsiro (Uganda) 31:01
2. Zersenay Tadese (Eritrea) 31:01
3. Leonard Komon (Kenya) 31:21
4. Bernard Kiprop Kipyego (Kenya) 31:25
5. Cuthbert Nyasango (Zimbabwe)  31:30
6. Tola Tadese (Ethiopia) 31:35
7. Michael Kipyego (Kenya)  31:58
8. Thomas Longosiwa (Kenya) 32:00
9.  Yonas Kifle (Eritrea) 32:06
10. Chema Martínez (Spain)  32:25

Women (8km):
1. Priscah Jepleting (Kenya)  25:49
2. Mariya Konovalova (Russia)  25:52
3. Wude Ayalew Yimer (Ethiopia)  26:01
4. Viola Kibiwott (Kenya)  26:30
5. Eunice Jepkorir (Kenya)  26:45
6. Aniko Kalovics (Hungary)  26:56
7. Workitu Ayanu (Ethiopia) 27:06
8. Veronica Nyaruai Wanjiru (Kenya)  27:10
9. Hanane Aouhaddou (Morocco)  27:13
10. Alessandra Aguilar (Spain) 27:27