KENYA: ATHLETICS - Kenyan world cross country championship athletes return to a heroes' welcome

Record ID: 361991

  • Title: KENYA: ATHLETICS - Kenyan world cross country championship athletes return to a heroes' welcome
  • Date: 31st March 2010
  • Summary: KENYAN TEAM (RICHARD MATEELONG, JOSEPH EBUYA AND LINETH MAASAI WALKING DOWN WITH FLAG KENYAN TEAM BEING MET BY GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS, JOSEPH EBUYA BEING CONGRATULATED JOSEPH EBUYA BEING HELD ALOFT BY COLLEAGUES (SOUNDBITE) (Swahili) 2010 WORLD CROSS COUNTRY CHAMPION, JOSEPH EBUYA SAYING; "I'm supposed to be like Paul Tergat but to say the truth, I never expected to win
  • Embargoed: 15th April 2010 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Kenya
  • Country: Kenya
  • Topics: Sports
  • Reuters ID: LVA6JCO8PRLQYIO856AN30X6PZ1R
  • Story Text: Kenyan world cross country championship giants including Joseph Ebuya and Linet Massai return with their haul of medals to a heroes' welcome.
    The victorious Kenyan world cross country team arrived at Nairobi's Jomo Kenyatta International airport on Tuesday (March 30) to a heroes' welcome.
    Joseph Ebuya and Emily Chebet headed a Kenyan sweep of the individual and team medals at the world cross country championships in Bydgoszcz on Sunday (March 28) for the first time since 1994.
    The team of 25 were greeted by a huge crowd that braved the late evening chill and showers to have a glimpse of the athletes.
    Ebuya became the first Kenyan to win the senior men's 12-kms title since Paul Tergat won his fifth and final race in Belfast in 1999. Chebet won the women's eight-kms title while Kenya also won both the individual and team junior titles.
    "I'm supposed to be like Paul Tergat but to say the truth I never expected to win this medal but there is little to say; it is just God who enabled me to deliver this medal to Kenyans." a beaming Ebuya said on arrival from Poland.
    Ebuya was the first Kenyan to win the 12 kilometre race in 11 years when Paul Tergat won in Belfast, Northern Ireland.
    Ebuya said that he will stay with cross country running rather than switch to the maraton for the time being.
    "I have not decided on anything; whether to go to the marathon or not, for now I'm sticking with cross country because I realise I'm good at it. I'm still young and maybe if I get to 35 I could switch to the marathon," said Ebuya.
    Ten thousand metres specialist Emily Chebet, whose best performance was the bronze medal she won at the 2006 African championships, compounded misery on arch-rivals Ethiopia as she dashed past Meselech Melkamu and favourite Lineth Maasi to win the senior women's race with three-time winner Tirunesh Dibaba settling for fourth place.
    "Our performance in Poland was very good, we knew we were going to make history even in training because we were very serious and focused in our preparations, I was almost sure that we will do good. When we got there the weather worked for us and we worked as a team and we did a fantastic job." said team Captain Richard Mateelong.
    The Kenyans also won all medals in the junior races and took the four team titles.
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