Australian double for Willis and Mottram at IAAF Chiba cross country
AFP
26 January 2002 - Chiba, Japan - Benita Willis and Craig Mottram scored a double victory for Australia in the women’s and men’s IAAF Chiba cross country races here on Saturday.

The 22-year-old Willis, 12th at the world championships 5000m last year,  made a late break from Japanese pair Kayoko Fukushi and Miwako Yamanaka to win the women’s 8km race in 25 minutes 43 seconds.

Fukushi, fourth at the world junior championships 5000m in 2000, fell down at the first obstacle on the first lap, but held on to the leading pack to finish second in 25:47.

Yamanaka, who fought a strong battle with Willis for most of the race, finished third in 25:58.

Inspired by Willis’ victory, Mottram also made a spurt in the final kilometre to win the men’s 12km race.

The 21-year-old Australian, a semi-finalist at the world championships 1500m, clocked 35:29, ahead of Japan’s Tomohiro Seto in 35:34 and Yoji Yamaguchi in 35:36.

IAAF Chiba cross country results

Men's 12km

   1. Craig Mottram (Aus)     35min 29sec
   2. Tomohiro Seto (Jpn)     35:34
   3. Yoji Yamaguchi (Jpn)    35:36
   4. James Dung (Ken)        35:37
   5. Yomonori Watanabe (Jpn) 35:39
   6. Motoda Yukihiro (Jpn)   35:48
   7. Yuki Yamamoto (Jpn)     35:49
   8. Shinichiro Okuda (Jpn)  35:49
  
   Women's 8km
   1. Benita Willis (Aus)     25:43
   2. Kayoko Fukushi (Jpn)    25:47
   3. Miwako Yamanaka (Jpn)   25:58
   4. Yoshiko Ichikawa (Jpn)  26:13
   5. Ruth Wanjiru (Ken)      26:49
   6. Kaori Yoshida (Jpn)     26:49
   7. Kazue Ogoshi (Jpn)      26:51
   8. Esther Wanjiru (Ken)    27:15