Kenya’s Mike Kigen captured a brilliant win at the ‘Cross Internacional de San Sebastián’ held on Sunday (31) on a quite muddy circuit which strongly hampered the effort of the athletes. The men’s 10,000 race witnessed the African supremacy from the start in the guise of Kigen and the Eritrean pair of Samuel Tsegay and Amanuel Mesel.That triumvirate led the race for the opening three kilometres but Kigen’s front tactics paid dividends shortly afterwards and first Mesel and later Tsegay lost touch with the 24-year-old Kenyan, who came a fine 5th at the 2006 World Cross Country championships in Fukuoka.
By halfway (15:41 for a lonesome Kigen) it became clear that, barring disaster, the Kenyan would be the eventual winner as the Madrid-based pair of Tsegay and Mesel ran well back 10 and 22 seconds behind respectively.
The second half witnessed how Kigen (holder of a 12:58.58 5000m PB) strengthened his leadership to such an extent that no less than 51 seconds separated his winning time of 31:29 from Tsegay’s 32:20 for second while Mesel completed the podium another 32 seconds adrift.
The women’s 6000m event was taken in style by Hungary’s former (2003) European XC bronze medallist Aniko Kalovics. It was Spain’s reigning European Cross Country silver medallist Rosa Morató who made most of the early pacing alongside Ukraine’s 2006 European XC champion Tatyana Holovchenko while the ‘defending champion’ Kalovics ran tucked behind.
Shortly after the 2000m point the Ukrainian tried to pull away from the others but her bid was unsuccessful and the decisive movement was signed by Kalovics who injected a brisker pace with the clock reading eight minutes to move away with ease from Holovchenko and Morató, with the former getting rid of the Spaniard easily to secure the second spot.
The second half of the race became a solo run by the 32-year-old Kalovics to romp home in 19:45 for Holovchenko’s 19:51 while the steeplechaser Morató completed a classy podium 21 seconds behind the victor. Spain’s reigning World 3000m steeplechase champion Marta Domínguez faded on the muddy surface and only finished 10th, 1:31 in arrears.
19-year-old Bustos clocks 1:47.23
Spain’s reigning European 1500m junior champion David Bustos’ momentum continues at this early stage of the indoor season. Following a fine 3:40.23 1500m performance last 15 January in Valencia, Bustos produced a 1:47.23 run in the 800m event on the same track.
Paced until the 400m point in 53.6 the fast-improving Spaniard managed to maintain the rhythm over the second lap to cross the line in a fast 1:47.23, even faster than his 1:47.50 PB outdoors.
Bustos will skip the IAAF permit in Valencia, opting instead for the Spanish U-20 indoor championships to be held that weekend (13/14 Feb) in Seville where he has scheduled to compete at his specialist event, the 1500m. However, Bustos has also announced he will tackle the 800m at the national championships to be held later this month in Valencia (27/28 Feb).
Emeterio Valiente for the IAAF
Leading Results - Cross Internacional de San Sebastián (31 Jan) -
Men (10,000m) -
1. Mike Kigen (Ken) 31:29
2. Samuel Tsegay (Eri) 32:20
3. Amanuel Mesel (Eri) 32:52
4. Chakir Boujattoui (Mor) 33:02
5. Alberto García (Esp) 33:07
6. Bengamin Malaty (Fra) 33:55
7. José Ríos (Esp) 34:35
8. Jordi Comas (Esp) 34:53
9. Javier Carriqueo (Arg) 35:19
10. Eliseo Martín (Esp) 35:31
Women (6000m) -
1. Aniko Kalovics (Hun) 19:45
2. Tatiana Holovchenko (Ukr) 19:51
3. Rosa Morató (Esp) 20:06
4. Gema Barrachina (Esp) 20:15
5. Lidia Rodríguez (Esp) 20:31
6. Hanan Ouhaddou (Mor) 20:34
7. Marisa Casanueva (Esp) 20:36
8. Mariya Konovalova (Rus) 20:38
9. Cristina Jordán (Esp) 21:06
10. Marta Domínguez (Esp) 21:16
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