WXC: Uganda’s Kiplimo equals Tergat, Bekele record in Belgrade showdown
Uganda's star Jacob Kiplimo has entered into a list of famous athletes after winning gold at the World Athletics Cross Country Championships in Belgrade on Saturday, March 30, 2024.
Kiplimo retained the gold medal to join an illustrious list of stars to have successfully defended a world cross-country title. He is now in the famous group that includes Kenenisa Bekele, Geoffrey Kamworor and Paul Tergat, as back-to-back winners of the senior men’s title.
The silver medal went to Ethiopia’s Berihu Aregawi, who also repeated his finish from the last as Kenya’s Benson Kiplangat earned a bronze.
Meanwhile, Chimdessa Debele was the first to make a significant move as the Ethiopian opened up a 20-metre lead during the first two laps with France’s Mehdi Frere a surprise challenger in second place.
At this point, most of the other big contenders, including defending champion Kiplimo and 2019 winner Joshua Cheptegei, ran in the large chase pack.
The rest of the field closed in on the 2022 African 10,000m silver medallist at about 11 minutes.
Kenya’s Gideon Rono then put in a surge to open up a gap on the rest of the field as the race tightened. Rono, the 2019 African U18 3000m bronze medallist put in a commendable effort but was unable to prolong the lead.
The Kenyan ceded ground and at around 22 minutes, he was caught up by the cahsing group with Kiplimo and Cheptegei leading them.
The team contest was also heating up; by the end of the third lap, Uganda and Kenya were level on points (23), according to World Athletics.
History-making Kiplimo
Kiplimo, the history maker, started making his way away from the group with 24 minutes on the clock. The Ugandan had his closest rival in Aregawi, who followed Kiplimo home in Bathurst last year, and started to make his presence felt.
With Kiplimo and Aregawi in a tight fight ahead, Kenya’s 2021 world U20 5000m champion Kiplang'at moved into third.
On the final lap, Kiplimo continued to stretch ahead and with each stride carried the confidence that he would retain his title. He dully proved when he kicked ahead to win in 28:09.
Aregawi took silver again in 28:12 as Kiplang'at, who was just fourth at the Kenyan Cross Country Championships, held on for bronze in 28:14. The bronze medallist gained gold in the team standings as he was the first of five Kenyan finishers in the top eight. 
Cheptegei finished some way out of the individual medals in sixth (28:24), but he earned silver in the team contest. Ethiopia took team bronze.
