Teferi, Gidey keen to win cross country for late friend and rival Tirop
The 2015 World Cross Country Championships senior women’s silver medallist, Senbere Teferi, from Ethiopia and compatriot Letesenbet Gidey have promised to deliver big during the Memorial Agnes Tirop World Cross Country Gold Tour set for Saturday in Eldoret.
During a mandatory pre race press conference on Friday, at Bona Inn in Eldoret, Teferi promised to take the race to the Kenyans if only to honour the late Agnes Tirop during the Gold Tour event planned for The Lobo Village, Kapseret. “I had an honour to to go up against Tirop, one of the most honest and competitive athletes I have faced. I settled for silver, of course behind Tirop, when she became the youngest winner at the senior level,” said Teferi via a translator.
She added: “I am happy to be in Kenya but I can tell tomorrow is going to be an emotional day for everyone who knew Tirop.”
Compatriot, Gidey, the Tokyo Olympics 10,000m bronze medallist, who has been training in the country for weeks in Kaptagat too is confident of a good race.
“We have an objective to be competitive while honouring out friend. I know it is going to be tough, it will be a good race for the fans,” said Gidey who holds world records in 5,000m (14:06.62), 10,000m (29:01.03) and Half marathon (1:02:52).
Gidey, Taferi and Eritrea’s Dolshi Tesfu, who will feature in senior women’s 10km.
AK president Jack Tuwei said the foreign entrants were bulging up with 36 nationalities registered as of Friday morning.
“We expected more athletes in the course of the day. Everything has been put in place for a big day tomorrow,” he added.
On Thursday,athletes from Eritrea, Ukraine and Spain jetted into the country.
Turkey 3,000m steeplechase champion Hilal Yego, Hendrik Pfeiffer and Nic Ihlow from Germany and Great Britain’s Alex George jetted into the country on Thursday evening.
Yemane Haileselassie, Eritrea’s national 3,000m steeplechase record holder (8:22.52), was among those to jet in for the senior men’s 10km race.
Haileselassie took part in the 2016 and 2020 Olympics, as well as the 2017 London and 2019 Doha World Championships. The 23-year-old won bronze in the 3,000m steeplechase at the 2016 World Under-20 Championships.
2017 European Cup 10,000m champion Antonio Abadía from Spain and Ukrainian Vitaly Shafar, who will compete in the senior men’s 10km race also arrived. Abadia is the 2016 European 10,000m bronze medallist while Shafar finished fourth in the 2014 Boston Marathon and 10th at the 2015 Boston Marathon.
Ukrainian duo of former national 5,000m champion Yuliya Shmatenko and Victoria Kolchyk, also arrived to take a stab at senior women’s 10km. Shmatenko is the 2020 Balkan Championships 5,000m winner, having also claimed silver in 5,000m at the 2017 European Team Championships.
The Memorial Agnes Tirop Classic World Cross Country Gold Tour is one of the 20 events in the World Cross Country Tour that World Athletics introduced in October last year.
The tour has 20 events comprising 15 gold, two silver and three bronze.
