Posted: January 8, 2005

Athletics: Ritzenhein Wins Belfast XC

From David Monti

(c) 2004 Race Results Weekly, all rights reserved RaceResultsWeekly.com

American Dathan Ritzenhein won today's Belfast International Cross Country in muddy conditions at Stormont Castle, wire services have reported.

The former University of Colorado star, who represented the United States at the Athens Olympics despite a serious foot injury, led from start to finish beating 2004 IAAF World Cross Country Championships junior bronze medalist, Ernest Meli Kimeli of Kenya, by nine seconds. Kenyan Barnabas Kiplagat Kosgei was third; he was fourth at last year's World Cross Country Championships, also in the junior race.

Ritzenhein, who is coached by Brad Hudson, left his university team at the end of the 2004 school year to turn professional. He made his professional debut on 31-Dec-2004 in Bolzano, Italy, finishing a surprising third in the Boclassic, a 10 km invitational road race.

Ritzenhein is so unknown in Europe that reporters are often spelling his name wrong: "Ritzenheim" with an "m" at the end.

Of his African rivals at this competition, Ritzenhein told Ireland On-Line: "I've raced against them before and each time I've finished higher and higher."

Next up for the American is the Reebok Boston Indoor Games, on 29-Jan, where he will run the 3000m, the same race in which Kenenisa Bekele is scheduled to make his USA racing debut.