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Kenya sweeps Senior and Junior individual and team titles in Poland

From the IAAF and USATF

BYDGOSZCZ, Poland - At the 38th IAAF World Cross Country Championships, Kenya reasserted itself as the dominant turf power by winning the Senior men's and women's individual and team titles on Sunday over the multi-lap 2 kilometer course under sunny conditions and 50F degree temperatures.

In the men's 12K race, Joseph Ebuya was a clear world champion by six seconds over Teklemariam Medhin of Eritrea, 33:00 to 33:06. Patrick Smyth was the top American in 36th place (34:51). Kenya put five men in the top 10 to easily win the team gold over East African neighbor Eritrea, 20 points to 46, while Team USA was 9th (182).

In the women's 8K race, Emily Chebet edged countrywoman Linet Masai, 24:19 to 24:20, for the gold medal. With 4 of top 6, Kenya beat rival Ethiopia for the team title (14 points vs. 22). 2008 Olympic bronze medalist Shalane Flanagan, who finished 12th in 25:20, led Team USA to the bronze medal (76 points), the first U.S. medal since 2005 at these global championships.

For Magdalena Lewy Boulet, who placed 20th (26:01), third scoring American, the team bronze medal was particularly sweet because the 2008 Olympic marathoner returned to her country of birth. Post-race, she said: "It's an incredible feeling to get on the podium! I knew that if I were to get a medal that it would happen here with an incredible team. I'm so honored to be on the same team as some of the other girls. I knew we had it in us, so we went out hard."

In the Junior races (19 and under), Kenya also swept individual and team titles to lay the foundation for future Senior athlete success, and it was the first time since 1994 that Kenya won all the gold medals (4 individual and 4 team) at the event.

38th IAAF World Cross Country Championships
Bydgoszcz, POL, Sunday, March 28, 2010

MEN - 12K
1) Joseph Ebuya (KEN), 33:00, $30,000
2) Teklemariam Medhin (ERI), 33:06, $15,000
3) Moses Kipsiro (UGA), 33:10, $10,000
4) Leonard Komon (KEN), 33:10, $7000
5) Samuel Tsegay (ERI), 33:27, $5000
6) Hasan Mahboob (BRN), 33:28, $3000
7) Richard Mateelong (KEN), 33:29
8) Paul Tanui (KEN), 33:30
9) Hosea Macharinyang (KEN), 33:31
10) Gebregziabher Gebremariam (ETH), 33:35
U.S.
36) Patrick Smyth (USA), 34:51
45) Ryan Vail (USA), 35:04
48) Bobby Curtis (USA), 35:08
53) Scott Bauhs (USA), 35:14
67) Robert Mack (USA), 35:36
80) Ben Bruce (USA), 35:56

TEAM
1) Kenya, 20 points, $20,000
2) Eritrea, 46, $16,000
3) Ethiopia, 69, $12,000
4) Morocco, 89, $10,000
5) Uganda, 90, $8000
6) Spain, 154, $4000
9) USA, 182

WOMEN - 8K
1) Emily Chebet (KEN), 24:19, $30,000
2) Linet Masai (KEN), 24:20, $15,000
3) Meselech Melkamu (ETH), 24:26, $10,000
4) Tirunesh Dibaba (ETH), 24:38, $7000
5) Lineth Chepkurui (KEN), 24:40, $5000
6) Margaret Muriuki (KEN), 24:42, $3000
7) Feyse Tadese (ETH), 25:03
8) Mamitu Daska (ETH), 25:03
9) Werknesh Kidane (ETH), 25:07
10) Hilda Kibet (NED), 25:17 
U.S.
12) Shalane Flanagan (USA), 25:20
19) Molly Huddle (USA), 25:59
20) Magdalena Lewy Boulet (USA), 26:01
25) Amy Hastings (USA), 26:20
38) Renee Metivier-Baillie (USA), 26:48
41) Emily Brown (USA), 26:53

TEAM
1) Kenya, 14 points, $20,000
2) Ethiopia, 22, $16,000
3) USA, 76, $12,000
4) Morocco, 127, $10,000
5) Portugal, 127, $8000
6) Great Britain, 140, $4000

Complete results, full race reports, photos and more at: IAAF.org and for the Team USA summary, go to: USATF.org.