Sabrina Yohannes | IAAF

Gebregziabher Gebremariam’s thrilling sprint victory and Genzebe Dibaba’s repeat junior gold medal at the World Cross Country Championships in Amman were inspired by their absent double Olympic champion compatriots Kenenisa Bekele and Tirunesh Dibaba, albeit in different ways.

Gebremariam was fueled by the expectation of the world, and rivals Kenya in particular, that Ethiopia could lose the senior men’s title in Bekele’s absence; while Genzebe Dibaba felt her 2008 senior World champion sister’s presence throughout her stay in Jordan, receiving encouraging long distance calls from her on her mobile phone even as she warmed up at the venue on race day. The younger Dibaba hopes to follow in her elder sibling’s footsteps again, this time on the track, at the World Championships in Berlin 15-23 August.

Overcoming a critical absence and drama on the golf course

Moments after sprinting away from the lead pack on the final uphill of Amman’s grueling Bisharat Golf Club course to snatch victory two seconds ahead of Uganda’s Moses Kipsiro and Eritrea’s Zersenay Tadesse, a breathless but excited Gebremariam tried to convey his emotions. “Until I reached the tape, I wasn’t sure,” he said. “I didn’t expect it – not by a miracle. I just can’t express my feelings, because there was something that happened earlier.”

After the team had warmed up at the venue in their track suits, they had found that the racing outfits of two members, Tadesse Tola and Habtamu Fikadu, were missing. With insufficient time to wait for the junior men to finish racing before the seniors headed towards the start, the two men had actually been persuaded by Gebremariam and others to compete in the outfits of two junior women who had raced earlier wearing full length vests (instead of the midriff-baring vests others wore). Gebremariam, the team’s senior member, had feared the incident might affect everyone’s morale.

“He was concerned,” said Fikadu, who eventually placed fifth, while Tola finished 17th, and the squad took team silver behind Kenya after a tie-breaking rule was applied to decide the title.

“So we were driven by some added determination to overcome that, but I didn’t expect to win,” said Gebremariam. “On the downhills especially, it’s a very challenging course. It’s hard; it has many downhills and uphills. We were a bit apprehensive about it. But we entered the race with a certain amount of resolve. The six-time champion Kenenisa isn’t here, and though we may not be as strong as him, we have prepared to the best of our ability, but the others will have come mentally very well-prepared. They always think ‘if Kenenisa isn’t here, we can win’ as if the rest of us aren’t here. So today we entered the race determined to take his place, and praise God, that goal has been achieved.”

“I am very happy about this race,” said Gebremariam, the husband of 2003 World Champion Werknesh Kidane. “This is my second time to get a gold medal [at the World Cross]. I got a gold medal in 2002 in Dublin as a junior, but this is my first gold as a senior.”

The 2002 World Junior 10,000m gold- and 5,000m bronze-medallist Gebremariam had taken World Cross Country bronze in 2003 and double silver in 2004, but had not medaled on the global stage since, although his results at national and other championships at home have often been impressive, with several track and cross country titles to his name. Last year, the two-time All Africa Games medallist Gebremariam led an Ethiopian sweep of the African Championships 10,000m in Addis Ababa.

He was asked by journalists in Amman if his World Cross victory signaled a new phase in his career, and to comment on his sprint finish. “Yes, you can say I’m in good shape. However, I was feeling tired during the middle of the race, but it ended very well,” he said. “I have a good finishing kick, but it’s not new. If you run a tough race, if it’s a very fast race, you don’t have a strong finishing kick anywhere … But I had a good finishing kick here.”

Gebremariam does indeed have a history of strong come-from-behind victories such as the national trials in February where he won ahead of 2007 national champion Tola, Tariku Bekele and others; the 2005 national track championships where he sprinted to victory over both 5000 and 10,000m; and the 2002 Great Ethiopian Run 10K where he won beating Bekele and Sileshi Sihine. Although he may become a more marked man as he proceeds on his comeback, the element of surprise was on Gebremariam’s side when he reproduced that kick on the global stage in Amman. Even his compatriots watching back home were surprised and delighted by the results.

“I was overjoyed,” said African 5000m bronze-medallist Ali Abdosh, who, along with officials and other athletes including the big stars, greeted Gebremariam and the Ethiopian team at Addis Ababa’s Bole airport upon their return from Jordan. “Since Kenenisa wasn’t there, we didn’t even expect to win. It wasn’t just me, but all of Ethiopia. But he won and he defended Kenenisa’s title; and the youngsters defended their titles.”

Genzebe Dibaba – as good as money in the bank

Edinburgh World Cross Country Championships junior medallists Genzebe Dibaba and Ayele Abshero also did the nation proud with their Amman gold medals, Dibaba retaining her 2008 title shortly after taking a call on her mobile phone from her sister Tirunesh, the one-time junior and multiple senior gold-medallist.

“She urged me to repeat my performance from last year,” said Genzebe, whose first name means “my money” in Amharic, and who proved to be as good as money in the bank when she followed through and became the first Ethiopian woman to successfully defend the junior crown. “I have done as she has asked of me,” she said.

Genzebe was second behind Sule Utura in the national trials at Addis Ababa’s Jan Meda venue, but led her squad to team gold in Amman with her victory over Kenya’s Mercy Cherono and Jackline Chepngeno. “At Jan Meda, I was experiencing some pain,” said Genzebe, who explained the problem had since been resolved. “My knees were giving me trouble then, and I couldn’t manage. Here, it was God’s will that I should win.”

After watching the Amman race live from Europe, Tirunesh called her sister again that evening. “She was very happy,” said Genzebe, who had been accompanied by Tirunesh in Edinburgh where both took gold and received continuous encouragement from her in Amman despite the physical distance separating them. “She was always there for me,” said the 2008 World Junior 5000m silver medallist Genzebe, who hopes to emulate the 2003 and 2005 World senior champion Tirunesh’s success in that event as well.

“From here on, I will be preparing to attain a qualifying time for the World Championships team,” said Genzebe, who has a personal best of 15:02.41 but faces a strong contingent of Ethiopians vying for those slots on the Berlin squad. Six of her countrywomen ran faster in 2008, including her sisters Tirunesh and Ejegayehu. “I won’t be focusing on any other competitions,” said Genzebe.