The Ethiopian team competing at the 33rd IAAF World Cross Country Championships in Saint-Etienne/Saint-Galmier, France this weekend will attempt to match the amazing success achieved by last year’s team in Brussels, who won fourteen out of eighteen possible medals on offer.

Taking part in the men’s races this year will be Kenenisa Bekele, Dejene Berhanu, Maregu Zewde, Abebe Dinkessa and Gebre-egziabher Gebremariam.

“It would be very difficult to repeat the Brussels triumph,” said Maregu, “but we are all working hard and sticking together as a team.”

The women’s team is made up of Tirunesh Dibaba, World Junior Cross Country champion Meselech Melkamu, Werknesh Kidane and Gete Wami.

Tirunesh won the Great Edinburgh Cross Country in January, beating long course champion Australian Benita Johnson, and sliced nearly seven seconds of Berhane Adere’s old World 5000 metres Indoor record in Boston. Gete meanwhile is the most successful runner in the history of the championships, and is making a competitive return to the track after nearly four years.

Ethiopia will also be fielding a strong junior team at these championships, which will be made up of Gelete Burka in the women’s junior side, and Solomon Molla and Tariku Bekele, younger brother of Kenenisa in the men’s team.

The Women’s Junior Race will take place at 14:30 on Saturday 19^th March, followed by the Men’s Short Race at 15:20 and the Women’s Long Race at 16:00. On Sunday 20^th March, the Men’s Junior Race begins at 14:25, with the Long Race at 15:15 and the Women’s Short Race at 16:15.

Background Information

• The most IAAF medals won by an individual athlete is 18 by Gete Wami of Ethiopia, with eight gold, eight silver and two bronze in 1991-2001.

• The men’s record is 17 by Kenenisa Bekele in 2001-2004, including nine gold, seven silver and one bronze.

• The most medals won at a single IAAF championships is four: two individual and two team. This has been achieved eight times by five athletes, all Ethiopian. Haylu Mekonnen in 1999, Gete Wami in 2001, Kenenisa Bekele in 2001-2003-2004, Worknesh Kidane in 2003 and Gebre-egziabher Gebremariam in 2004.