Gebrhiwet to lead Ethiopia quest at world cross in China

Kenya threw down the gauntlet and Ethiopians have happily picked it up as they announced their final 24-member team for the World Cross Country Championships, which will be held in Guiyang, China on March 24.

With only one former champion making the Kenya team (Emily Chebet), Ethiopians have made a bold statement naming four medallists from the last edition of the championships for the trip to Guiyang.

Only Alemitu Haroye, who finished 6th in the championships, is the odd entry for the team to Guiyang, China. According to the list seen on Thursday, Hagos Gebrhiwet, their sole individual gold medallist two years ago in Bydgoszcz, leads the senior men's team.

In 2013, Gebrhiwet won the highly competitive junior men's race, but this time around the world silver medallist will be contesting the senior race.

Joining him on the team is Ethiopian cross-country champion Tamirat Tola and 20-year-old Bonsa Dida, who finished a close second to Tola at the Ethiopian Championships.

Muktar Edris, who took the bronze medal behind Gebrhiwet in the junior race two years ago, will also line up for the senior men's race.

Genet Yalew, junior silver medallist in 2011, is one of six talented athletes on the senior women's team.

The 22-year-old won the Ethiopian cross country title by a comfortable margin, beating the likes of world junior 5,000m champion Alemitu Heroye and world 10,000m and cross country bronze medallist Belaynesh Oljira, both of whom also feature on the team. Endi