Beatrice Chebet ready to continue winning streak in Seville

PREVIEW Beatrice Chebet ready to continue winning streak in Seville

Abigael Wafula 12:00 - 11.11.2023

Beatrice Chebet will be keen to star in Seville after her impressive start in the cross-country that saw her triumph in Atapuerca.

Reigning World Cross-country champion Beatrice Chebet will be looking to continue her winning streak at the Cross Internacional de Itálica in Santiponce– the fourth Gold standard meeting in the current World Athletics Cross Country Tour – scheduled for Sunday, November 12.

Chebet is just fresh from reigning supreme in Atapuerca two weeks ago and will be looking for her first victory here after her runner-up place in 2020 and third place in 2021.

The 23-year-old will enjoy the company of Edinah Jebitok, who was eighth at the World Cross-country Championships in Bathurst and third in Atapuerca. Jebitok also won in San Sebastian last weekend.

Strong opposition will come from Senayet Getachew, the World U20 cross-country champion, and her fellow Ethiopian Wede Kefale who finished 15th in the senior women’s race at this year’s World Cross.

Uganda's Anne Chelangat is also another strong contender in the women’s race. Nadia Battocletti will be racing in Santiponce for the first time with the hope of making a statement.

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The line-up also includes Spanish steeplechasers Irene Sánchez-Escribano and Carolina Robles plus European U20 cross-country champion María Forero and Britain's Amelia Quirk, who was 25th in Bathurst.

The men’s 9.9km contest looks set to be a three-way battle between the Kenyan pair of Ronald Kwemoi and Ishmael Kipkurui plus Burundi's Rodrigue Kwizera.

Kwemoi will compete for the third consecutive time on Spanish ground after his runner-up spot in Atapuerca two weeks ago and a narrow win over Kipkurui last Sunday in San Sebastián.

Their Kenyan compatriot Hillary Chepkwoni, fresh from a huge PB of 58:53 at the Valencia Half Marathon three weeks ago, will also be on the start line.

Kwizera, co-winner of the 2022-2023 World Cross Country Tour, finished eighth at the World Cross Country Championships in Bathurst at the start of 2023.

He went ahead to finish third in Atapuerca where he was beaten by Kwemoi over the closing stages but grabbed an easy victory last weekend in his Spanish base of Castellón at a low-key cross-country race.

Eritrea’s Aron Kifle, the 2018 world half marathon bronze medallist, will be making his 2023 cross-country debut on Sunday. He’ll be joined by compatriot Merhawi Mebrahtu who finished second in Amorebieta and ninth in Atapuerca the following week.

Uganda’s Oscar Chelimo, who recently finished third in San Sebastian, will contend for a top-five finish on Sunday.

The Spanish contingent will be headed by Mohamed Katir. The world 5000m silver medallist has been training in the altitude of Sierra Nevada since mid-October and will be back there right after the race for another week.