The Independent Uganda: You get the Truth we Pay the Price
1· Joshua Cheptegei ??
2· Jacob Kiplimo ??
3· Selemon Barega ??
4· Abadi Hadis ??
5· Emmanuel Giniki ??
6· Ilias TEMSAMANI ??
7· Joel Ayeko ??
8· Aweke Ayalew ??
9· Adel Mechaal ??
10· Antoni Abadia ??
Seville, Spain | THE INDEPENDENT | Long distance ace Joshua Cheptegei led the way as Uganda dominated one of the most prestigious Cross Country races in Seville, Spain on Sunday.
Cheptegei, a World Championships 10,000m silver medalists, continued his off-track success when he crossed the line in 00:30:54 to win the 36th Cross International de Italica.
The 21-year-old Cheptegei was followed home in the 11km race by colleague and World Cross Country junior champion Jacob Kiplimo (00:30:55), and in 7th place, Joel Ayeko ( 00:31:48), world champion of mountain races.
Inaugurated in 1982, the race course is set in the ruins of the ancient Roman city of Italica. It is the fifth leg of this season’s IAAF Cross Country Permit series.
It is the first cross country race in the series that Ethiopia’s Selemon Barega has lost. He could only manage third, after Kiplimo had set an early pace that Cheptegei stretched to victory.
Cheptegei’s European circuit win follows another in November where he continued his rise in long distance athletics by running the world’s second fastest 15k race ever at the Seven Hills Race Zevenheuvelenloop in Nijmegen, The Netherlands. He was timed at 41:16 mins, just short of the record of 41:13.
The Ugandan athletics ace now joins an illustrious list of Italica winners that include Geoffrey Kamworor, Kenenisa Bekele, Paul Tergat and Cheptegei’s fellow Ugandan Moses Kipsiro, the 2008 and 2009 winner.
“I wasn’t sure if I would win today because I last competed in mid-November (when he fell just three seconds short of the world 15km best) and I really didn’t know how I was going to feel in my opening cross-country race of the season,” Cheptegei told IAAF.org, adding “Luckily I felt strong and managed to succeed.”
It was another strong cross country showing for 17-year-old Kiplimo, as this is the third race he is runner-up.
Sunday’s women’s race was dominated by the Kenyans. Agnet Triop led a 1-2-3 finish.
#CrossItalica | #Atletismo
? El ugandés Cheptegei gana al sprint a su compatriota Kiplimo https://t.co/Ynzkw5ZYi1 pic.twitter.com/Da5ogcMqfb— SPORT+ (@SPORTMasDeporte) January 21, 2018
Top 3 International women @crossitalica ..Congratulations Kenyan gals..
1. Agnes Tirop – 25:51
2. Lilian Kasait – 26:01
3. @hellen_obiri – 26:03 pic.twitter.com/qJX4wDhDUn— Katami Michelle (@MichKatami) January 21, 2018
