Afrika News - Kenya dominates world X-country in Poland

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Kenya dominates world X-country in Poland

Written by Afrika News Sports Reporter
Tuesday, 30 March 2010
Kenyan athletes made a clean sweep of gold medals at the IAAF World Cross Country championship in Bydgoszcz, Poland. Joseph Ebuya, Emily Chebet, Caleb Ndiku and Mercy Cherono won in their respective events. Ebuya, a former herdsboy, won the senior men's 12km race in 33 minutes, while Chebet took the women's (8km) title in 24 minutes and 19 seconds ahead of her fellow Kenyan Emily Chebet won the women's 8km race in 24 minutes and 19 seconds, ahead of compatriot Linet Chepkwemoi Masai (24.20) and Ethiopia's Meselech Melkamu (24.26). Ndiku and Cherono bagged the junior male and female gold medals respectively. Chebet, 24, was barely mentioned as a contender but joined a decisive break away just ten minutes into the race and showed a superior kick in the closing stages, leaving Masai, the world champion over 10,000m in Berlin last year, to settle for silver. Caleb Mwangangi Ndiku won the men's junior race after edging out Clement Kiprono Langat and Japhet Kipyegon Korir to cross the line in 22 minutes and 7 seconds. Mercy Cherono, 18, led fellow Kenyans in a medal sweep in her last junior race, covering the 6km course in 18 minutes 47 seconds. In the male senior race, Eritrea's Teklemariam Medhin took the silver medal in 33 minutes and six seconds and Moses Ndiema Kipsiro of Uganda won the bronze medal. Select Results Senior Men: Joseph Ebuya - KENYA (33:00) Teklemariam Medhin - ERITREA (33:06) Moses Ndiema Kipsiro - UGANDA (33.10) Leonard Patrick Komon - KENYA (33:10) Senior Women: Emily Chebet- KENYA(24:19) Linet Chepkwemoi Masai - KENYA (24:20) Meselech Melkamu - ETHIOPIA (24:26) Tirunesh Dibaba - ETHIOPIA (24:38) Junior Men: Caleb Mwangangi Ndiku - KENYA (22:07) Clement Kiprono Langat - KENYA (22:09) Japhet Kipyegon Korir - KENYA (22:12) Isiah Kiplangat Koech - KENYA (22:24) Junior Women: Mercy Cherono - KENYA (18:47) Purity Cherotich Rionoripo - KENYA (18:54) Esther Chemtai - KENYA (18:55) Faith Chepngetich Kipyegon - KENYA (19:02)