Ali Abdosh wins the men's 4km at the 23rd Jan Meda Cross Country International (© Nahom Tesfaye)
Ethiopia’s World and Olympic 10,000m silver medallist Sileshi Sihine suffered a shock defeat in the senior men’s 4km race today, on the opening day of the 23rd Jan Meda Cross Country International, the qualifying meet for the 34th IAAF World Cross Country Championships, Fukuoka, Japan (1-2 April).
However, the women’s races saw no shocks, as Meselech Melkamu and Werkitu Ayana came through unscathed.
Abdosh catches Sihine by surprise
Ali Abdosh, a member of the Defense sports club and 5th over the 5000m at last year’s Ethiopian Championships in Addis Ababa, grabbed the headlines on the first day of the championships with a determined win over Sihine in the men’s 4km.
The race, set out over a two-lap course at the Jan Meda race course, remained tight until the last kilometre when a leading group that included Sihine, Abdosh, Abebe Dinkesa, Gebregziabher Gebremariam, and Gebo Burka moved ahead of the rest of the field.
With 500m to go, however, Sihine looked an odds-on for victory when he moved ahead of the rest and opened a gap of about 15 metres with 300m left.
But while the 2004 World Cross long race bronze medallist was eyeing the finish, Abdosh inflicted an incredible burst of sprint speed to take victory in 11:36. Sihine held on take second place with joint-race favourite Abebe Dinkesa coming home in fourth behind Kenyan Jonas Cheruiyot.
“I was confident that I could catch and beat him,” Abdosh said in a post-race interview. “I hope to do well in the World Cross Country Championships and maybe earn a top-three finish.”
Meanwhile, Sihine was more philosophical about his defeat. “I just wanted to qualify for the championships and did not exert myself,” he said. “I have enough time to prepare for the World Cross and so I am not worried about my form.”
Melkamu floats to comfortable victory
There were no surprises in the women’s 8km race as Meselech Melkamu, fourth and sixth respectively in last year’s long and short races at the World Cross Country Championships, comfortably defended her title.
Melkamu did not even feel the need to overexert herself in the race where a leading pack of eleven athletes stuck together for the first three laps of the contest.
But with a lap to go, the pack dwindled down to five with Melkamu hitting the front ahead of Chaltu Girma and Mestawot Tufa. As the race drew to a finish, Melkamu continued widening the gap between her and the chasing runners until she crossed the line well ahead of Girma and Tufa.
Cross country legend Gete Wami finished fourth to claim the last automatic qualification spot, but the big surprise was Teyiba Erkesso’s lowly 7th place finish.
“It was a difficult race not as easy as it looked,” said Melkamu after the race. “I hope to do well in Japan, but it all depends on the training until we get there.”
Ayana oozes confidence in junior race
In women’s junior 6km race, Werkitu Ayana lived up to her pre-race favorite tag to claim victory in what was a dominant display of front running.
Ayana was the first athlete to get nervous as the leading group of six came through a very slow first lap, and she hit the front immediately. She never looked back crossing the finish line a massive twenty-three seconds ahead of Emebet Eta’a.
“It was an easy race and that was why I led for so long,” she said after finishing the race. “I expect to become a World Junior Cross Country champion in Japan.”
Elshadai Negash for the IAAF
23rd Jan Meda Cross Country International Official Results
6km junior women
1. Werkitu Ayana (Ethiopian Banks) 19:57
2. Emebet Eta’a (Defense) 20:21
3. Aselefech Assefa (Muger Cement) 20:23
4km senior men
1. Ali Abdosh (Defense) 11:37
2. Sileshi Sihine (Prisons Police) 11:39
3. Jonas Cheruiot (Kenya) 11:42
4. Abebe Dinkessa (Prisons) 11:44 (11:43.78)
5. Gebregziabher Gebremariam (Ethiopian Banks) 11:44 (11:44.18)
8km senior women
1. Meselech Melkamu (EEPCO) 27:54
2. Chaltu Girma (Prisons) 27:01
3. Mestawot Tufa (Omedla) 27:03
