Winfred Yavi Reveals Her Next Destination After Commanding Cross Country Victory in Spain

Bahrain's Winfred Yavi and Ethiopia's Berihu Aregawi delivered commanding performances to claim victory at the Cross Internacional Juan Muguerza in Elgoibar, Spain, on Sunday.

Both athletes lived up to their pre-race billing as favourites at the World Athletics Cross Country Tour Gold event.

Winfred Yavi, the reigning Olympic 3000m steeplechase champion, secured her first win at the prestigious Spanish race, while Aregawi, an Olympic 10,000m silver medalist, made it a hat-trick of consecutive victories, holding off a strong challenge from Eritrean rising star Saymon Amanuel.

From the outset of the 7.62km women's race, Yavi asserted her dominance. She took an early lead, with only Tunisia’s Marwa Bouzayani and Kenya’s Sheila Jebet able to keep pace. However, Yavi's relentless tempo soon proved too much for her rivals.

Just over two kilometres in, Bouzayani began to fall back, and a few minutes later, Yavi broke away from Jebet. By the 3km mark, she had already established a five-second lead over the 20-year-old Kenyan.

As the race progressed, Yavi's advantage grew exponentially. At the bell for the final lap, she was a massive 26 seconds ahead of Jebet and 52 seconds clear of Bouzayani.

The 2023 world champion maintained her blistering pace to the finish, crossing the line unopposed. Her final winning margin was a staggering 1 minute and 6 seconds over Jebet, with Bouzayani securing third place a further 19 seconds behind.

In a tight battle for top European honours, Spain's Isabel Barreiro narrowly edged out Britain's Lucy Jones by a single second.

“I’m delighted,” said Yavi. “In Elgoibar, the people are so nice, and they make me feel special. I came here very well prepared, both physically and mentally. It’s a great success for me to win here after my third place some years ago.”

The men's 9.71km race began after a heartfelt minute of silence in memory of Lachie Stewart, the British great and three-time Elgoibar champion who passed away recently.

The contest started cautiously, but the pace quickened when Spain's Said Mechaal, fresh off a national 10km record, pushed to the front, trimming the lead group to eight runners.

Just before the halfway point, 18-year-old Saymon Amanuel made a decisive move, with only Aregawi and Thierry Ndikumwenayo able to respond.

The trio broke away, setting the stage for a thrilling second half. The duel eventually became a two-man race between Aregawi and Amanuel.

With about 22 minutes on the clock, Aregawi shifted into a higher gear, dropping the young Eritrean. The Ethiopian star, who had just won a silver medal at the World Cross Country Championships in Tallahassee eight days prior, powered through the penultimate lap to build a four-second lead.

Over the final circuit, Aregawi never looked back, extending his advantage to seal his third straight victory in Elgoibar. He finished seven seconds ahead of Amanuel, joining Spanish legend Mariano Haro as the only men to win the race three times in a row.

Mechaal produced a strong finish to take third place, pulling away from Ndikumwenayo and Santiago Catrofe in the final 500 meters.