29.03.2009

Brichacek and Weightman crack top 20 at world cross country

Rising star Emily Brichacek (ACT) and Olympic marathon runner Lisa Weightman (Vic) have cracked the top 20 for the first time, placing 11th (junior) and 17th (senior) respectively at the 37th edition of the IAAF World Cross Country Championships staged in Amman, Jordan overnight (Saturday).

Olympic 5000m representative Collis Birmingham (Vic) was the first Australian home (29^th) in the senior men’s event whilst Ryan Gregson (NSW) placed 24^th in the junior men’s race.

Once again the powerful distance running nations of Kenya and Ethiopia asserted their dominance across the four events, 18-year-old Bricachek the first non-African runner home in the women's junior race.

Led by head coach and two-time world cross country champion Sonia O’Sullivan, Australia’s 18-member team tackled the tough hilly course situated on Al Bisharat golf course in cool and windy conditions, the temperature gauge only reaching eight degrees.

Senior Men (12km)

In his fourth appearance at the championships, Olympic 5000m representative Collis Birmingham (VIC) was the first Australian home in the men’s senior event, significantly improving on his best (67^th – Mombasa 2007), to place 29^th in 36:38 on the 12km course.

Experienced campaigner Michael Shelley (Qld) finished 36^th, with world university games silver medallist Liam Adams (Vic) placing 69^th.

2002 world junior cross country champion Gebre Gebremariam (ETH) took out the event and the US$30,000 prize in one of the most thrilling finishes in the history of the IAAF World Cross Country Championships

Calling on his experience, Gebremariam had been content to run a cautious race, keeping towards the back of the lead group for most of the way, however outpunched a group of 10 contenders coming to the final climb.

With a combination of strength and speed, he kicked away in the final stages, leaving Uganda’s Moses Kipsiro to take the silver and Eritrea’s Zersenay Tadese, the 2007 champion, in bronze medal position.

Gebremariam not only succeeds his compatriot, Kenenisa Bekele, as world champion, he is now right behind him as the second most successful man since the championships began in 1973. Two medals in 2009 takes his career total to 15 medals, moving up from third place ahead of Kenya’s Paul Tergat (14 medals).

Kenya claimed their 22nd team title in 24 years, however failed in their quest to win an individual medal.

Senior men – IAAF race report
Senior men – individual results
Senior men – team results

Australian Results:

Collis Birmingham (Vic) – 29^th 36:38 (+1:36)
Michael Shelley (Qld) – 36^th 36:58
Liam Adams (Vic) – 69^th 37:50

Senior Women (8km)

After placing 20^th in Edinburgh last year, Beijing marathon runner Lisa Weightman ran a quality race to finish in 17^th position – the fourth non-African home - in her third appearance at the championships.

The 31-year-old completed the 8km course in 27:59, one minute and 46 seconds behind eventual winner, Florence Kiplagat of Kenya.

Reigning national 10,000m champion, Lara Tamsett, 20, who placed 36^th in the junior event in 2007, made a successful graduation to the senior ranks finishing in 26^th place.

Kiplagat, who fainted after crossing the finish line, became the first Kenyan since Helen Chepngeno in 1994 to win the senior women’s race.

Compatriot Linet Masai, fourth in last year’s Olympic 10,000 metres final, looked to have the victory in the bag, sometimes leading by up to 50 metres, however Kiplagat closed the gap on the final climb. Ethiopia’s Meselech Melkamu collected the bronze medal.

Kenya also secured the team gold, its first since 2001 and broke a string of seven straight by Ethiopia.

Senior women – IAAF race report
Senior women – individual results
Senior women – team results

Australian results:

Team place: 7th

Lisa Weightman (Vic) – 17^th 27:59 (+1:46)
Lara Tamsett (NSW) – 26^th 28:19
Melinda Vernon (NSW) – 52^nd 29:04
Erin Densham (Vic) – 59^th 29:23
Tara Palm (SA) – 80^th 31:23

Junior Men (8km)

Emerging talent Ryan Gregson (NSW) was the first Australian home in the junior men’s event, improving on his 31^st place from Edinburgh last year, to cross the line in 24^th position. Harry Summers (NSW) was twelve seconds behind in 29^th place.

Digging deep into his reserves up the final climb towards the finish, Ethiopia’s Ayele Abshero wasn’t going to settle for a second successive silver medal, going one better to claim his first gold medal ahead of Titus Mbishei (Kenya) and Moses Kibet (Uganda). Abshero lived up to his billing as the pre-race favourite, taking control with a surge up a short hill with 600m to go and never looked back.

American German Fernandez, the world’s fastest ever junior indoor miler, was the first non-African across the line in 11th place.

Junior men – IAAF race report
Junior men – individual results
Junior men – team results

Australian results:

Team place: 6th

Ryan Gregson (NSW) – 24^th 24:40 (+1:14)
Harry Summers (NSW) – 29^th 24:52
Richard Everest (SA) – 36^th 25:16
Brett Robinson (ACT) – 46^th 25:47
David Ricketts (NSW) – 69^th 26:32
Joshua Johnson (NSW) – 86^th 27:08

Junior Women (6km)

Emily Brichacek (ACT) who placed 21st in Edinburgh, ran an impressive race to be the first non-African home in 11th position. Completing the 6km course in 21:02, the 18-year-old finished 48 seconds behind eventual winner Genzebe Dibaba of Ethiopia.

Dibaba, the younger sister of Tirunesh Dibaba, imposed herself on a tough course and tough opposition to take her second junior women’s world cross country title. Kenya’s Mercy Cherono followed, with teammate Jackline Chepngeno picking up the bronze.

Junior women – IAAF race report
Junior women – individual results
Junior women – team results

Australian results:

Team place: 7^th

Emily Brichacek (ACT) – 11^th 21:02 (+0.48)
Chloe Tighe (NSW) – 31^st 22:11
Hollie Emery (NSW) – 47^th 22:39
Tamara Carvolth (QLD) – 65^th 23:14

With thanks to Len Johnson and David Powell IAAF