Aussies At 2009 World Cross Country - Review

Edward Ovadia

Email: edwardovadia [at] gmail.com

 

So another World Cross Country has come and gone, this time in Amman, Jordan. Once again the Africans dominated, and once again Kenya won a bunch of team medals, but still left frustrated seeing as they hadn't won the senior men's title - they haven't won it since Tergat's streak; you know the drill. But what of the Aussie results - what do they mean for the Aussie distance running scene.

Let's start by ranking the Aussie performances. It's not hard to pick the first one:

1) Emily Brichacek - 11th in the Junior Race.

Emily was the first non-Ethiopian and Kenyan runner out of the entire field. Which is to say that if Ethiopia and Kenya didn't exist, Emily would have won the toughest race in the world. Unfortunately for distance runners around the world, Ethiopia and Kenya are very, very real. But that doesn't make Emily's result any less impressive. Emily has not always had the best run with injuries, after running a 9:06

2) Lisa Jane Weightman - 17th in the Senior Race

The quiet achiever of Aussie distance running, Lisa Jane had an awesome 2008 with a great debut marathon in London, a solid performance in the Olympics, and a third in the Great Australian Run. She's kicked off 2009 in the right fashion, too, coming 27th in the senior race.

3) Lara Tamsett - 26th in the Senior Race

Lara has clearly made the transition to the senior ranks without trouble. Her 26th placing was a great effort in itself, but considering Lisa Jane came 17th, it's scary to think how high Lara might well finish in the next few years. Look for Lara to run some super fast times this year.

4) A Tie: Harry Summers (29th, Juniors) and Collis Birmingham (29th, Seniors)

This isn't a tie because both were 29th. Normally, 29th in the senior race would be higher than 29th in the junior race. But this has been a breakthrough run for Harry, who has yet to reach his potential on the track. So too for Collis, but we already knew he could compete on the world stage. Finishing in the top 30 at WXC, no matter what age group, is a great achievement, and will hopefully leave these two poised for a great 2009.

5) Ryan Gregson - 24th in the Junior Race

There's been a lot of talk about Gregson, and most of it has been warranted. His 24th placing was a solid performance for someone who might be better suited to the 1500m/3000m distances. In the end he didn't beat the US wunderkind German Fernandez, but wasn't far off; and considering experts are tipping Fernandez to break 13:20 over 5000m this year, Gregson is still the one to watch.

Australia had a lot of top 40 finishes, and everyone who ran last year and the year before improved their placings. Overall, the Aussies did brilliantly. Given the standard of performances, especially in the junior men's race where a whole team was sent, hopefully this will inspire selectors to follow that trend for the other divisions in coming years.