Chebet takes shock win

Eurosport - Sun, 28 Mar 15:13:00 2010

Kenyas Emily Chebet out-sprinted team-mate Linet Masai to claim a shock victory at the World Cross Country Championships in Bydgoszcz.

Chebet, 24, was barely mentioned as a contender but joined a decisive breaking away just

10 minutes into the race, she showed a superior kick in the closing stages, leaving Masai, the world champion over 10,000 metres in Berlin last year, to settle for silver. Her winning time for the 8km course was 24 minutes, 19 seconds. Double Olympic champion Tirunesh Dibaba - who was looking to rebound after a disappointing 2009 plagued by injury - was dropped and finished outside the medals while Ethiopia's Meselech Melkamu completed the podium. Three-times European junior champion Steph Twell was the top British finisher in 23rd while Hayley Yelling, who claimed the European title last year, blamed a catalogue of injury and illness problems after ranking outside the top 60. Elsewhere, Mercy Cherono led home a Kenyan medal sweep in her last ever junior race covering the 6km course in 18 minutes 47 seconds. The 18-year old had a winning margin of seven seconds over Purity Rionoripo, who won bronze over 3000m at last year's World Youth Championships in Bressanone. Esther Chemtai claimed bronze while Tirunesh's younger sister Genzebe Dibaba, who was looking for third title, finished just outside the top ten in 11th. Kate Avery was the top ranked British finisher in 20th, just three places ahead of teammate Emelia Gorecka while Annabel Gummow edged into the top 30, ensuring fifth place in the team competition.