KENYA: ATHLETICS: Zersenay Tadesse and Lornah Kiplagat comment on winning the world cross-country championships

Kenyan-born Lornah Kiplagat, who competes for the Netherlands, won the senior women's race in Mombasa on Saturday (March 24) in 26:23 ahead of defending champion Tirunesh Dibaba to become the first European victor since Briton Paula Radcliffe in 2002. Ethiopian Dibaba clocked 26:47, one second ahead of compatriot Meselech Melkamu. "I just wanted to concentrate because I didn't want to lose energy. I just concentrate and go, go because I said this could be my last cross-country but I thought let me give it a try because if I don't try I can't have it anymore," Kiplagat told reporters. Ethiopia's five-times double champion Kenenisa Bekele failed in his bid for a record sixth title at the world cross country championships as Eritrean Zersenay Tadesse won in soaring temperatures . Olympic and world 10,000 metres champion Bekele dropped out of the 12 km race with a lap to go and Tadesse, fourth last year, won in 35 minutes 50 seconds. "Bekele dropped out in the middle of the race due to stomach pains caused by intense heat and humidity," the Ethiopian federation said in a statement. The winner, Tadesse, said he had no idea where Bekele had gone. "I thought he (Bekele) was behind me when I was running because I could see him then I don't know, if he went down, as I didn't see him again," he told reporters at the news conference after the event. Kenya's world 10,000 metres bronze medallist Moses Mosop was second in 36:13 and his compatriot Bernard Kiprop third in 36:37.

ITN Source | March 25, 2007

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