News03 Jan 2009


Twell and Merga triumph in Antrim

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Stephanie Twell takes a one second victory in Antrim (© Mark Shearman)

World Junior 1500m champion Stephanie Twell opened her competitive year in style with a mature victory in the Antrim International - IAAF Cross Country Permit - to further cement her flowering reputation as one to watch for the future.

Twell, 19, belied her tender age to successfully fight off a late, brave challenge from Ireland’s Deirdre Ryan and join British distance running immortals Paula Radcliffe and Liz McColgan as past winners of this event.

Twell lives up to expectations

On a grey, chilly afternoon at the CAFRE, Greenmount Campus in Antrim – a new home for the popular annual international cross country event hosted in Northern Ireland – much of the pre-race attention was thrust upon Twell and she did not disappoint.

The British teenager, who also landed a hat-trick of junior women’s European Cross Country titles last month, was up against an experienced field in the 5.6km senior women’s race, but after two of the three laps of the flat, relatively firm parkland course Twell looked in control and held a slight advantage from Byrne, her Irish compatriot Rosemary Ryan, Scot Freya Murray and US top 20 finisher in the 2008 World Cross, Emily Brown.

Before the midway point of the final lap, Twell held a clear 10m lead with Byrne, the third-place finisher in last year’s race, her nearest pursuer.

Yet the real drama of the race was yet to unfold as the 26-year-old Byrne slowly began to reel in the Brit and as the pair approached the final 200m less than two metres separated the duo.

But just as the crowd believed a first Irish victory in the race for 15 years was possible – Catherina McKiernan was their last winner - the pugnacious Twell responded magnificently to kick ahead and mark her first appearance of the calendar year with a richly deserved victory.

Byrne crossed the line in runner-up spot with the English-based Scot, Murray, showing a welcome return to form seven seconds behind Twell in third.

Brown secured a solid fourth-place finish with Irish veteran Ryan in fifth.

Twell was delighted to open her account for 2009 with victory – a race which also represented her first race as a fully-fledged senior athlete - and she acknowledged the role Byrne had played in an absorbing battle.

“She (Byrne) gave me a great race,” said Twell. “I had felt strong and I had a sprint left in me. I love racing. The important thing for me is to enjoy the sport.” 

Byrne, meanwhile, was not too downbeat at finishing second to such a rising star of the sport.

“She just had that extra gear on me at the end,” Byrne admitted. “She (Twell) is a fantastic runner and to even get that close to her, I’m really happy.”

Twell now moves on to next Saturday’s Great Edinburgh Cross Country and a more testing international field full of confidence.

Merga nabs unexpected win – men’s race

In the men’s 9572m race, Ethiopia’s Imane Merga benefited from race favourite Boniface Kiprop losing his left shoe on the fourth of five laps to take an unexpected victory.

Kiprop was forced to concede 50m to Merga midway around the penultimate lap as he refitted his shoe and although he quickly ate up the gap, the Ethiopian’s superior strength in the latter stages saw him home.

The little known Merga, who finished seventh in the junior race at the 2008 World Cross Country Championships in Edinburgh, was elated with his win.

“I’m very, very happy and I would like to thank the organisers for competing,” said Merga, 20, who set a lifetime best of 27:33 for the 10,000m last year.

Kiprop, the Commonwealth 10,000m champion, believed the brief loss of his shoe cost him victory.

“I used up too much energy to catch the gap,” explained Kiprop, who finished tenth in the Olympic 10,000m final but who was troubled by a hip injury for much of last summer.

After three laps of the race few would have bet against Kiprop securing a hat-trick of wins in the event for Uganda following Moses Kipriso’s victories in 2007 and 2008.

Kiprop looked cool as a cucumber at the head of affairs and had shaken off the attentions of all except Merga and the tall Scot, Andrew Lemoncello.

However, his unfortunate shoe incident changed the pattern of the race. Suddenly, Merga held a clear 30m advantage from the fading Lemoncello with Kiprop further back and seemingly out of touch.

The Ugandan, however, managed to breach the gap on the leader going into the final lap and it seemed he may be about to salvage the race.

Nonetheless, Merga was to prove no pushover and in the final stages launched his victory sprint to secure a two-second victory and finally extinguish Kiprop’s hopes.

The US-based Lemoncello, who only arrived in the UK for just over a week primarily to have some dental work carried out, was delighted to finish third – 17 seconds adrift of Merga.

Steve Landells for the IAAF   

Leading Results -
Men:
1 Imane Merga (Ethiopia) 27:32
2 Boniface Kiprop (Uganda) 27:34
3 Andrew Lemoncello (Scotland) 27:49
4 Jean Ndayisenga (Burundi) 28:08
5 Irba Lakhal (France) 28:21  
6 Gareth Raven (England) 28:24

Women:
1 Stephanie Twell (England) 18:25
2 Deirdre Byrne (Ireland) 18:26
3 Freya Murray (Scotland) 18:32
4 Emily Brown (USA) 18:35
5 Rosemary Ryan (Ireland) 18:44
6 Maria McCambridge (Ireland) 18:53

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