Joshua Cheptegei from Uganda crosses the finish line to win the Men's
senior race at the IAAF World Cross Country Championships on March 30,
2019 in Aarhus, Denmark. Photo by AFP
Uganda's Joshua Kiprui Cheptegei on Saturday won a gold medal at the 2019 World Cross Country Championships in Aarhus, Denmark.
Cheptegei
who won two gold medals in the 5000m and 10,000m races respectively at
the 2018 Commonwealth Games in Gold Coast, Australia, has become the
first Ugandan to win gold in the Men's Senior Category at the IAAF World
Cross Country Championship.
He edged Ugandan teammate
Jacob Kiplimo to claim the east African country's maiden victory in the
men's world cross-country championships, Kenyan track star Hellen Obiri
winning the women's title.
Cheptegei clocked 31min
40sec around the 10.2km-long course, he and Kiplimo pushing Kenya's
double defending champion Geoffrey Kamworor into third (31:55).
"It is an awesome feeling winning here today. Since I missed it last time in 2017 I now reached my mission to return with the gold medal," Cheptegei said.
"It is an awesome feeling winning here today. Since I missed it last time in 2017 I now reached my mission to return with the gold medal," Cheptegei said.
"It means a lot to me to be the first ever
Ugandan to win this title. The course was very hard and difficult but I
had a very strong preparation at home in Kampala where the terrain is
very similar."
The women's race, over the same distance on the muddy course, was led almost from start to finish by Obiri, 2017 world champion over 5000m, a distance in which she also won Olympic gold in Rio in 2016.
The women's race, over the same distance on the muddy course, was led almost from start to finish by Obiri, 2017 world champion over 5000m, a distance in which she also won Olympic gold in Rio in 2016.
The 29-year-old Kenyan clocked 36:14, just
two seconds ahead of Dera Dida, with another Ethiopian, Letensebet
Gidey, in third a further 8sec adrift.
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