Jebitok excited for new season following stellar show on the road

Ednah Jebitok’s star keeps on shinning and her prospects on the road look just as promising as on the track.

At the age of 19, the 2017 World Under-18 1,500m bronze medalist has featured at the Olympics. She claimed her place to the Tokyo Olympic Games when she won a 1,500m race in 4:03.46 seconds at the True Athletes Classics 2021 in Leverkusen, Germany.

The 2018 Youth Olympics 1,500m gold medalist finished fourth in her semifinal heat at the Olympics to miss out on the final. She had been drafted to the semi after a successful appeal from Team Kenya, having been tripped in the heats to finish 12th.

Jebitok wins silver in Madrid as Obiri is sidelined

After featuring at the Olympics, Jebitok has been busy on the road featuring in cross country races. Her most recent being a commanding win at the 78th Cross Internacional Juan Muguerza, a World Athletics Cross Country Tour Gold meeting in the Spanish town of Elgoibar on Sunday 9 January.

"Conditions were tough, but I can't be more satisfied with my victory. I already won in Venta de Banos and ran 30:44 for second in Madrid, so I’m extremely happy with my performances this season and looking forward to the track season,” said Jibitok after her victory.

At Elgoibar the opening lap on the track was timed at 1:13, with Uganda’s world U-20 5000m bronze medalist Prisca Chesang making the most of the pacing duties, closely followed by the rest of the favourites.

With the clock reading seven minutes, only four women remained in the leading group, with Chesang joined by the Kenyan pair of Beatrice Chebet and Jebitok, plus Ethiopia’s Senbere Teferi, but the latter fell at a muddy downhill section and lost contact with the leading trio.

Shortly afterwards, Jebitok stepped up the pace to build a two-second advantage ahead of Chebet and Chesang after a 7:13 2.1km loop. Surprisingly, Kenya’s 3000m steeplechase record-holder Beatrice Chepkoech was never a factor and raced way back off the leaders.

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Some 13 minutes into the race, Jebitok put in a decisive surge with a 3:15 kilometre, which built a sizeable margin on her pursuers. Following a frantic 7:00 circuit, the 20-year-old Kenyan had gained a 10-second lead on Chebet, while Chesang was 21 seconds back.

Jebitok extended her advantage over the closing circuit to secure a clear win over Chebet, with 15 seconds separating the two at the finish line. The 18-year-old Chesang kept Teferi at bay to complete a quality top three, 15 seconds behind Chebet but 11 seconds clear of the Ethiopian.

Chepkoech finished a distant eighth, some 1:36 behind the victor, while Great Britain’s Kate Holt was the first European athlete home in ninth, just ahead of her compatriot Alexandra Millard.

Additional reporting by World Athletics