BATHURST: Jacob Kiplimo upset distance king Joshua Cheptegei to win the world cross country title on Saturday as top women’s star Letesenbet Gidey dramatically collapsed in sight of the finish line as she looked destined for gold.

Uganda’s Kiplimo clocked 29min 17sec around the 10km-long course at Mount Panorama in Bathurst, northwest of Sydney — better known as one of the world’s most challenging motor racing courses.

He crossed nine seconds clear of Ethiopia’s Berihu Aregawi with fellow Ugandan Cheptegei taking bronze. Cheptegei — the 5,000m and 10,000m world record holder — was defending the title he won four years ago in Aarhus, Denmark when Kiplimo took silver.

In the women’s race over the same distance, Ethiopia’s Gidey — the 5,000m, 10,000m half marathon world record holder — took the lead on the final lap and pulled away from Kenya’s Beatrice Chebet.

She looked to have timed her race perfectly but began grimacing in the closing stages and collapsed with barely 100m to go, handing world 5,000m silver medallist Chebet the title in 33.48.

Gidey was illegally helped to her feet and stumbled over the finish line, but was disqualified.

Fellow Ethiopian Tsigie Gebreselama came second with Kenya’s Agnes Jebet Ngetich third.

Kenya won the mixed relay, where two women and two men each run a 2km loop, in 23.14 -- seven seconds ahead of Ethiopia to avenge their defeat by the fellow African powerhouse in Denmark. Australia came third.

Kenyan Ishmael Kipkurui claimed the men’s U20 title while Ethiopia’s Senayet Getachew was the women’s champion.

Published in Dawn, February 19th, 2023