Reprieve for Beatrice Chebet & co. as serial threat withdraws from World Cross Country Championships

ATHLETICS Reprieve for Beatrice Chebet & co. as serial threat withdraws from World Cross Country Championships

Abigael Wafula 15:20 - 22.03.2024

Defending champion Beatrice Chebet and co. can now breathe easy after a serial threat has withdrawn from the World Cross Country Championships.

Defending champion Beatrice Chebet, world 10km record holder Agnes Ngetich and Sirikwa Classic Cross-country Champion Emmaculate Anyango can now sigh in relief after a serial threat withdrew from the World Cross-country Championships scheduled for Belgrade, Serbia on Saturday, March 30.

Double Olympic champion Sifan Hassan was supposed to make her debut in the global showpiece but announced her withdrawal and noted that she would just continue training and skip the event.

Hassan, the reigning London Marathon and Chicago Marathon champion noted that she wants to give her body time to recover from the marathon and focus on upcoming events including the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.

“I’ve changed my plans and decided to continue training over competing at the World Cross Country Championships. I prefer to give my body more time to recover from the marathon and focus on what is ahead,” Hassan said in a post on her Instagram stories.

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After her withdrawal, Chebet and her compatriots can now have an easy run at the event and can easily take the top three slots. Hassan has always been a threat in every race she has been confirmed following her talent in running.

She made her full marathon debut at the London Marathon where she won in the most dramatic way before beating two-time champion Ruth Chepng’etich at the Chicago Marathon.

She made her first appearance at the Tokyo Marathon this season, finishing fourth, still an impressive performance from her since it was her third marathon.

However, the Kenyans are still bound to face tough competition from Ethiopians, who gave them a run for their money last season with the presence of Letesenbet Gidey who finished second in the senior women’s race after losing consciousness at the event.

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