Easy win for Asbel Kiprop and Fionnuala Britton
Kenya's world and Olympic champion Asbel Kiprop easiness to a relaxed victory in the men's 3km event at the Great Edinburgh Cross Country race. He clocked nine minutes, 20 seconds to beat Britain's Jonny Hay (9.25), with Ethiopia's Kenenisa Bekele well down. Ireland's European cross country champion Fionnuala Britton won the women's 6km race in 21.32 ahead of Britain's Gemma Steel and Elle Baker. "It is nice to feel strong and run like that," Britton told. Kiprop beat fellow Kenyan Brimin Kipruto, who won Olympic gold in the 3,000m steeplechase, and Ethiopian legend Bekele, who both finished well down the field.
We must go back 11 years for the last time Kenenisa Bekele completed outside the top 10 in any race, and that was in the 2001 Oslo 5,000m when he was still a junior. One wonders if his bubble has burst, since he's now lost four of his last five races. But remember the one he did win was last September's Brussels 10,000m, which was highly important as he ran the fastest time in the world in 2011 and almost guaranteed his selection for London in that event. Olympic Park on 4 August will be a far cry from Holyrood Park on 7 January.
Bekele, who won gold in the 5,000m and 10,000m in Beijing in 2008, is regarded as the biggest rival to Britain's Mo Farah at the 2012 London Olympics but he struggled with the pace. Kiprop, 22, said: "I expected a very tough contest from them.”I am excited having won here today after being second last year." Britton beat a quality field at Holyrood Park to win by an inspiring 20 seconds. The 27-year-old said: "It is a big event and I knew I was the person everyone would try to chase down so I knew I had to have a good race.
We must go back 11 years for the last time Kenenisa Bekele completed outside the top 10 in any race, and that was in the 2001 Oslo 5,000m when he was still a junior. One wonders if his bubble has burst, since he's now lost four of his last five races. But remember the one he did win was last September's Brussels 10,000m, which was highly important as he ran the fastest time in the world in 2011 and almost guaranteed his selection for London in that event. Olympic Park on 4 August will be a far cry from Holyrood Park on 7 January.
Bekele, who won gold in the 5,000m and 10,000m in Beijing in 2008, is regarded as the biggest rival to Britain's Mo Farah at the 2012 London Olympics but he struggled with the pace. Kiprop, 22, said: "I expected a very tough contest from them.”I am excited having won here today after being second last year." Britton beat a quality field at Holyrood Park to win by an inspiring 20 seconds. The 27-year-old said: "It is a big event and I knew I was the person everyone would try to chase down so I knew I had to have a good race.
