Ethiopians revel in Scottish weather – mud, rain and all

THE sun eventually shone on the 36th IAAF World Cross Country Championships at Holyrood Park yesterday, though earlier on the heavens had opened and free wellies might have been an idea.

And while the event went without a hitch, there was, as expected no British medal, the closest being the fourth by the junior women in their team race.

Fife steeplechaser Andrew Lemoncello, although never a medal hope, was unable to raise his game to be first Briton in the senior men's race, finishing 79th and fourth counter, the position he occupied in the UK Trial earlier in the month.

"I felt fine till the last lap when I took a stitch and just couldn't get my legs going," said the 25-year-old St Andrews man, who intends to turn his attentions to the marathon for the 2014 Commonwealth Games.

"It was a fantastic experience, the crowd was amazing and everyone was going crazy both inside and outside the course."

The Ethiopians did not disappoint the estimated crowd of more than 10,000, turning out despite the apparent pressures of Olympic year (the excuse for the absence of several top Brits) and turning on an awesome exhibition of grace, speed and endurance.

For the first time since 1994, when Kenya accomplished the feat, one country claimed all four individual titles. But it was the manner of the Ethiopian victories which impressed and gratified their hosts by stating that they had preferred the Edinburgh weather and the slippery, slithery, muddy course in front of Holyrood Palace and up and round Haggis Knowe to the heat and humidity of Mombasa in Kenya last year where they had suffered so many disasters, including Kenenisa Bekele and Tirunesh Dibaba both losing their titles.

Edinburgh was redemption, even if Kenya still took both men's team titles.

The Dibaba sisters became the first members of the same family to strike gold in the championships when first 17-year-old Genzebe won the junior race with a characteristic sprint finish and then 22-year-old Tirunesh took the senior title in similar style for the third time in four years.

Tirunesh confessed that she had not warmed up properly because she was watching the junior race: "I'm happier about her medal than my own," she said.

And Genzebe said: "I didn't expect to win."

Tirunesh came from well back in fourth place to take the senior race, drawing level at the foot of the final climb as defending champion and early pace-maker, team-mate Gelete Burka faded to sixth.

"In six weeks' time I'd have been a contender to win," declared former champion Benita Johnson after leading the Australian women to the team bronze medals behind the all-powerful Ethiopians (18 points) and Kenyans (22) in a display which should hearten all those who think the African nations cannot be challenged.

The first Europeans, Great Britain, were sixth with 116, helped by newly-declared Scot Laura Kenney, who was third counter in 38th place behind the excellent Liz Yelling, 15th and Hayley Yelling, 21st.

Kenney, whose father Paul, sister Moira and grandmother were all out on the course supporting her, was elated by the experience: "The course was amazing. I really enjoyed it and declaring for Scotland certainly got me a few extra cheers."

Johnson's sometime training companion and fellow Australian Craig Mottram, whose mother is a Scot and who was hoping to produce something special for his many Scottish fans, was unable to take inspiration from her run and was so disappointed with his 31st place in the men's race that he walked past waiting reporters at the finish without pausing to speak.

Mottram's team were no more successful and could finish no higher than ninth, with 400 points, which was still better than what the host nation could manage, the British men finishing 11th with 444 points.

Bekele's gold medal success in the men's senior race was amazing considering the hurdles he had to overcome.

Delayed on his way to Edinburgh when he missed his flight connection at Heathrow, the 25-year-old track world record-holder had stomach problems during the night after his arrival a day late in the Capital.

Then on the third kilometre of the 12k race his shoe was dislodged and he had to stop and put it on again, costing him at least 40 places.

But he gradually worked his way back to the front where last year's winner Zersenay Tadese was surging forward and it was the Eritrean who buckled in the final stages with Bekele outsprinting the first year senior Leonard Komon of Kenya for gold, with Tadese third.

Bekele has now won 16 gold medals at the event, including 12 individual, and six of the latter have come in the long race, one more than the previous record.

UK distance coach Bud Baldaro had words of encouragement for the British women: "The juniors (who were fourth without the injured Steph Twell) did well and so did the seniors, considering they were without Paula (Radcliffe), Kate Reed and Jo Pavey."