A mud splattered Sergiy Lebid wins his sixth European Cross Country title - Tilburg 2005 (© Hasse Sjögren)
Race organisers have assembled a solid collection of the international cross country crème for the ‘52nd Cross Internacional Zornotza’ - EAA permit - which takes place in Amorebieta, Spain, on Sunday 8 January.
Lebid tops a strong field – men’s race
In the men’s race, it is very much a matter of six-time European Cross Country champion Sergiy Lebid versus three African runners who placed in the top-ten at last year’s World Cross Country Championships: Uganda’s Boniface Kiprop (7th long race), and the Kenyan pair of Abraham Chebii (2nd in the short race) and John Cheruiyot Korir (9th long course). Eritrea’s Madrid-based Tesfayohannen Mesfen, who finished 12th at October’s World Half Marathon championships in Edmonton is also in the line-up.
In addition, the presence of Spain’s reigning European Cross Country silver medallist Alberto García will strengthen the European hopes in what on paper seems to be an unbalanced battle between Africa and Europe. France’s Mokhtar Benhari (6th in Tilburg) and Spain’s José Ríos (10th) complete a remarkable European array alongside Britain’s Michael Skinner.
For the European king Lebid, this Sunday’s 10,700m competition will be his fifth appearance in this winter season. As usual, he made a successful kick-off at the European Championships last 11 December to follow with a runner-up position behind Ethiopia’s Abebe Dinkessa at the IAAF permit in Brussels seven days later. Lebid’s last outings came in Funchal, Portugal with a seventh place over 6Km on 28 December and in Bolzano, Italy on New Year’s Eve where he finished third over 10Km. The 30-year-old Ukrainian star will try to make up for his performance here in Amorebieta two years ago when he only managed a fifth place finish, due at least in part by a very late arrival – 2 a.m. in the morning of the race due to a flight delay.
The powerful African contingent will be eager to finally capture a victory, as none have placed higher than second thus far this season: Kiprop was runner-up both in Fontenay-Les Briiis, France on 20 November, and at the IAAF Permit in Llodio the following week, and was third in Houilles, France last Sunday one second adrift the winner, Ethiopia’s Sileshi Sihine. As for Chebii, he was second in Alcobendas, Spain on 4 December. Cheruiyot Korir was runner-up in the Lagos Half Marathon in mid-November with a 1:03:05 clocking but had recently beaten Lebid in Bolzano by a whopping margin of 17 seconds where he also finished runner-up in 28:50.
García might also be a factor after his commanding success in Venta de Baños last 18 December. In his last race, García was seventh place at the ‘San Silvestre Vallecana’ (10km on road) held in Madrid on New Year’s eve where the 2003 World 5000m champion Eliud Kipchoge of Kenya showed stellar form with an overwhelming victory in 27:34.
Women’s race – Yelling versus Yelling?
The women’s event should witness a thrilling showdown between the top two Britons from last month’s European Cross Country Championships, sisters-in-law Hayley Yelling and Liz Yelling. With their 6th and 8th place finishes respectively, they led the British team to the silver medal. Spain’s Rosa Morató also performed well in Tilburg, finishing ninth, with only two seconds separating the three athletes: 20:16 for Hayley Yelling, 20:17 for Liz Yelling and 20:18 Morató.
Morató and Liz Yelling clashed one week later in Venta de Baños with the Spaniard getting the upper hand with her third place showing (Yelling was 8th, 23 seconds adrift) while Ethiopia’s Yamenashu Taye and Portugal’s Analia Rosa will start the 6700 race as the main favourites to complete a quality top-five.
Amorebieta hosted the IAAF World Cross Country championships back in 1993. That year the victors were Kenya’s William Sigei and Portugal’s Albertina Dias while a little-known legend-to be, Britain’s World Marathon record holder Paula Radcliffe placed 18th as a 19-year-old in her international senior debut.
Although slight rains are foreseen for Friday and Saturday, weather forecasters predict a sunny and cold day with highs of 12º C for Sunday.
Emeterio Valiente for the IAAF
