Linet Masai, World champion at 10,000 meters, women are headlining
The Kenyan Komon, silver at the World Cross in 2008, will fight with Mohammed and his fellow Somali Ebuya
borja Lazkano – Friday, November 20th, 2009 – Updated at 08:17 pm
victory. Despite being "a difficult year and complicated by the crisis," as acknowledged by himself Javier Aparicio, one of the organizers of the XXVI edition of the International Cross Llodio Valley, the prestigious cross-country event will retell Alava this Sunday on 22 November with the elite of the global landscape of athletics.
The fact that the organization of this historic race has been forced to tighten its belt and cut its budget by 18% has not been an obstacle to return to reunite the main figures of this modality.
Kenyans Linet Masai, the world champion of 10,000 meters, and Leonard Komon, world runner-up cross-country in 2008, leading a lineup of luxury. The competition is still in the test circuit the European Athletics Association and the organizers of the event intend to maintain this category SAA in the future, but as acknowledged by Javier Aparicio "not easy".
ORIGINAL laps Therefore, in the traditional path Ellakuri, after settlement of the construction of the stadium, last year, forcing the organization to alter the layout, will quote a good cast of African athletes, the great rulers of this cross in the recent years.
Proof of this is that since the imposition of the British John Brown in 1996, the winners of the last twelve editions of the Cross has been home Llodio Kenyan, Ethiopian or Tanzania, while in females, in the last 21 years , only three-in 1989 with the English Jane Shields, in 2001 with Alexandra Aguilar and Spanish in 2005 with Hungary’s Aniko Kalovies-there was an athlete of African descent at the top of the podium.
This year again the powerful Kenyan middle distance again be the favorites. In men’s category, Leonard Komon will be the team to beat. With the win he will fight for top names the likes of Swedish-Mustafa Mohamed of Somali origin, two-time Olympic bronze at the European cross-Teklemariam Medhin (Eritrea), Hunegnaw Mesfin (Ethiopia) and Joseph Ebuya (Kenya), Llodio winner two years ago.
The Spanish participation is also notable. The entry list includes the top five in the last national championship: Alemayehu Bezabeth, Carles Castillejo, Ayad Landassem, Francisco Javier López Villarrubia and Manuel Ángel Penas, more Sergio Sanchez, Javier Guerra, Ivan Galan and Ivan Fernandez Alava.
Moreover, in females, the main rival to Linet Masai, last winning in Llodio, besides being the current world runner-up cross-country and leader in the diezmil Berlin World Cup will be fellow Milcah Cheywa, bronze at 3,000 meters steeplechase at the World Cup and the Portuguese Ines Monteiro, bronze medalist in cross country and European runners-proof Alava in 2008. The list of contenders for the podium is completed by the Eritrean Fortuna Zegergish.
Furthermore, the champions of Spain and Euskadi, Rosa Morato and Iraia Garcia, together with Judit Pla, Alessandra Aguilar, Diana Martin, Sonia Bejarano, Cristina Marta Jordan and Romo are among the candidates for prominent positions.
Finally, in this year races will take place on a winding route of 2,100 m and the shorter sprint will be played last on a surface of artificial turf. In addition, senior test distance of 7.6 miles will be for women to compete starting at 1240 hours and 9800 meters in the case of men, who will start at 13.15. Before an entire program will be developed in various categories ranging from fingerlings to veterans.
