Ukraine's Sergiy Lebid breaks the finsihing tape at the 2003 European Cross Country Championships (© Getty Images)
Ukraine’s Sergiy Lebid, who accomplished an unprecedented third consecutive title at the European Cross Country Championships last month, will be making his fourth outing of this season at the ‘L Cross Internacional Zornotza’ - EAA Permit race - to be held on Sunday (4 Jan).
After equalling Paulo Guerra’s record of four European titles in Edinburgh, the Italian-based Ukrainian finished as runner-up to Paul Tergat at the Iris Loto Cross Cup - IAAF race - in Brussels the following week (21 Dec) and then took a convincing win in Bolzano on the road last Wednesday, 31 December.
Lebid had been due to compete in Newcastle, England tomorrow but race organisers there confirmed that he had been unable to get a visa to travel to the UK. Instead the Ukrainian leads a star-studded field this Sunday in Amorebieta which comprises a group of outstanding Africans in the guise of three Kenyans Patrick Ivuti, Charles Kamathi and Julius Nyamu, Tanzania’s Fabian Joseph and Michael Ngaseke, and Abel Chimukoko of Zimbabwe. Also running will be defending champion Abdullah Ahmad Hassan of Qatar.
The 25-year-old Ivuti will be competing for the third time on Spanish soil this winter having placed first in Yecla, and third in Venta de Baños behind Ethiopia’s Sihine and Eritrea’s Tadese Zersenay. Ivuti made a huge advance in 1999 when he snatched silver at the World Cross Country Championships (long race), was fourth the following year at 10,000m at the Sydney Olympics, and again claimed the silver medal at the Worlds Cross last March in Lausanne.
Former 10,000m World Champion Charles Kamathi is always a man to watch though the Kenyan seems far from his peak having resumed full training in mid-November after sustaining an injury which caused him to drop out of his World title defence race in Paris last summer.
The Kenyan challenge also includes steeplechaser Julius Nyamu (PB of 8:07.59), while Michael Ngaseke and Abel Chimukoko should also finish among the first ten.
Tanzania's Fabian Joseph, who turned 18 last week, will also be in action having already completed a remarkable 3-1-3 set of placings in Spain this winter. His countryman John Yuda came second last year here so Joseph, the World Half Marathon silver medallist, will try to uphold the Tanzanian pride in Amorebieta.
Last year’s Amorebieta winner Qatar’s Abdullah Ahmad Hassan will aim for success again. Formerly known as the Kenyan Albert Chepkurui, Hassan came 9th at the IAAF Permit race in Llodio five weeks ago affected by flu which he had caught the day before.
Local hopes will be focused on 3000m steeplechase World bronze medallist Eliseo Martín (PB of 8:09.09), José Ríos who is the current 10,000m European bronze medallist, and Carles Castillejo, runner-up in last June’s European Cup 3000m.
Burika-Kibiwott showdown
In the women’s side there should be a fierce battle between Ethiopia’s Gelete Burika and Kenya’s Viola Kibiwott, the two talents who dominated the IAAF permit race in Brussels last month, sweeping the first two positions with Burika, 17, prevailing over the 20-year-old Kibiwott by three seconds.
With a third place to her credit in Alcobendas on 7 December, Burika is the current World Cross Country Junior bronze medallist. Kibiwott on the other hand snatched two straight junior golds at the championships in 2001 (Ostend) and 2002 (Dublin). In addition, the Kenyan is the reigning 1500 World Junior Champion. Kibiwott also finished 23rd in the senior race in Lausanne at the last Worlds.
Ethiopia’s Meselech Melkamu is another woman not to be discounted as she came fourth in the Junior race in Lausanne, and took third spot on the road in Bolzano last Wednesday behind Adere and Pavey. The line-up on Sunday also includes Eritrea’s Nebiat Habtemariam and the Portuguese pair of Analia Rosa and Helena Sampaio.
