Emily Chebet is Kenya's big gun

The question on everybody’s lips is whether Emily Chebet will make it a hat-trick of titles in the World Cross Country Championships senior women’s 8km race.

That feat would make her the first runner, either sexes, to successfully defend their title since the event switched from annual to biennial in 2011, and the third after Grete Waitz (Norway) and Tirunesh Dibaba (Ethiopia) to win three or more senior women’s title.

Despite finishing well outside the bracket of the top performers at Kenya’s national trials in February, selectors kept faith with Chebet by handing her a wildcard. No one complained.

Aptly, she excused herself for the dismal performance by saying she had just come from Europe where, indeed she had run several races successfully, and was not in the right frame to run in local conditions.

On Friday, the intensely shy Chebet revisited her Nairobi I-want-to-forget-in-a-hurry incident. “My body was not feeling well then but now I am alright and really hoping to win,” she said almost sotto voce.

In the absence of the very fast rising Faith Chepngetich, who was withdrawn from the Kenya team injured, Chebet is the country’s big card.

She holds a personal best of 8:53.46 in 3,000m and 30:47.02 over 10,000m and is an accomplished long distance runner well adapted to the rough cross trail. She starts as favourite.

GRADUATE IN STYLE

Compatriot or not, on form 19-year-old Agnes Jebet will want to have a say in this. She finished second at the national trials, just a 1.2 seconds behind winner Chepngetich.

Jebet also won silver at the 2013 World Cross Country junior women’s 6km race and will want to graduate to the seniors in style.

Kenyans have heavily dominated the senior women’s race in recent years, winning the team title over the past four editions and it will take something special to beat them here in Guiyang.

Chinese runner and local girl Ding Changqin will try to use her extensive knowledge of conditions here to upstage the fancied east Africans.

“I love running. Guiyang is my home town. I have trained a lot and will want to get a good results here,” she said. Remarkably, the Chinese hero and reigning national champion, broke her personal best time in the marathon just days ago.

Ethiopia’s best bet could be Genet Yalew, who won junior silver in 2011, and is in hot form. Kenya has produced three of the last three junior women’s 6km race champions and will want to maintain their strangle hold.

Impressive Rosefline Chepngetich, who, won the national trials by a good nine seconds over her nearest rival, will lead the formidable Kenyan charge.