BRUSSELS (21-Mar-2004) -- Although a cold spring shower blew through Ossegem Park here this afternoon during the last lap of the senior men's 12 km race, it did not rain on the parade of miracle-man Kenenisa Bekele and his Ethiopian teammates. 

In the 8th kilometer of the final event of the two-day IAAF World Cross Country Championships, Bekele shot ahead with compatriot Sileshi Sihine, dropping their key Kenyan challenger Eliud Kipchoge, last year's world 5000m champion.  Bekele, who won yesterday's 4 km event with ease, then pulled away from Sihine and powered his way toward the finish line.  Before he broke the tape in 35:52 with his historic triple 4-K/12-K titles in hand, he counted to three with the fingers of his right hand and then crossed himself.  Even some of the most jaded reporters in the media tribune applauded.

"I'm extremely happy about this," said Bekele who looked as relieved as he did happy.  "I was able to make history in my country's name."

The Ethiopian men and women completely dominated the meet, winning five of the six available team titles.  In doing so, they broke what was possibly the most dominant streak in all of world sport: the Kenyan's 18 consecutive years of winning the 12-K men's senior title.  Ethiopia had last won the title in 1985.

"It's revenge," said Ethiopian athletics reporter Elshadai Negash.  "Next to the World Championships and the Olympics it's the best race."

Behind Bekele, Sihine would lose the sprint for silver against his teammate Gebre-egziabar Gebremariam, 36:10 to 36:11.  With Yibeltal Adamassu finishing eighth, the Ethiopians scored 14 points to Kenya's 30, and third place Eritrea's 66.  It was the first time a country had swept the podium at this distance since the Kenyans did it in 1993.

"We have not done this before," added Bekele of the team title.

The Kenyan squad started off the day in good form taking the team title in the junior men's race by scoring 20 points to Ethiopia's 25.  However, it was an Ethiopian, Meba Tadesse, who won the individual junior gold, but not without controversy.  Although his birth year was listed as 1986, he looked dramatically older than 18 years-old according to several seasoned observers RRW spoke to.  It is worth noting that Tadesse ran in the senior men's 4 km race last year, finishing seventh.  He would have been 17 years-old.

"I think it's probably one of the most outrageous cases I've seen (of a senior athlete being passed off as a junior)", said veteran reporter, Phil Minshull.  "I'd like to see him pass the scientific bone scan test used by international junior soccer tournaments to determine age."

Ugandan star Boniface Kiprop got the junior silver after doing much of the leading during the race.

Kenya got a second boost from Edith Masai who won her third consecutive 4 km title, but again Ethiopia was just too strong down the finish list, taking second, third, fourth and 10th to win the team title.  The Canadians were unlikely bronze medalists with 87 points, led by the 13th place performance of Emilie Mondor, who had finished 8th in the 8 km race the day before.

"I think doing the double at 22 was a big load on me," said Mondor who is from Quebec.  "I knew that this year I could be a medalist," she added.  "This year the only focus in the Olympics."

It was a humbling day for the U.S. squad; their junior men's and senior 4-K women's teams both finished seventh, while the senior men's 12-K team finished 11th.   The best individual performance was turned in by Shalane Flanagan of the University of North Carolina who finished 14th in the 4 km race.  "That was a tough one," said Flanagan who then compared this race to an NCAA championship.  "It was much more physical.  I was throwing some elbows out there, making my space."

Next year's championships will be held in Le Mans, France.

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