KIPROP WINS AS BEKELE SUFFERS SHOCK DEFEAT AT BUPA GREAT EDINBURGH CROSS COUNTRY

Double Olympic champion Kenenisa Bekele will probably have preferred to have stayed in Ethiopia where it was Christmas Day rather than suffer the ignominy of a shock defeat at the Bupa Great Edinburgh Cross Country on Saturday.

The world's greatest ever distance runner looked a shadow of his former self as he finished well down the field in 11th position in the International three kilometres race at the IAAF Permit event meeting in Holyrood Park.

There were no excuses from Bekele as he struggled in a race which included two other 2008 Olympic gold medallists, Kenyan's Asbel Kiprop the 1500m champion and Brimin Kipruto winner of the 3000m steeplechase in Beijing.

Fortunately Kiprop a former World Junior cross country winner upheld the trio's reputation when eventually scoring a relatively easy success by five seconds from an elated Briton Jonny Hay in a time of nine minutes 20 seconds.

They were followed home by defending champion Eliud Kipchoge who finished runner up behind Bekele over 5000m in China and took third in 9:26, a time he shared with fourth finisher Juan Carlos Higuero of Spain with Bekele reduced to a jog, 16 seconds behind them.

Bekele, despite suffering his second defeat over the lush Holyrood Palace course in the last two years, then seeing himself  not compete until last year's World Championships where he dropped out in the 10000 metres final, remains confident his performance did not send out the wrong message.

"The course was okay and my shape is not good,  that's the reason," said Bekele,  "I'm 50/50 at the moment and I was not confident before the race. It is too early in the year to be in great shape. 

"My goal is to build up for the Olympics and I want to do it slowly. I'm not happy with the result but what can I do about it. I wanted a good position but my body was not ready."

Kiprop his eyes already fixed on the defence of his title at the London Olympics admitted he was surprised to have won the race which included his world class fellow African runners.

"This was a great race for me," said the 2011 runner up who then later in the year went on to win the World 1500m crown last summer in Daegu. "I came here last year and this victory proved my preparations are again good."

Kiprop who broke clear in the final kilometre, added: "I expected Bekele and the others to come up on me and I was surprised when they didn't respond."

The race was undoubtedly the highlight of the meeting. However it also staged an exciting Team International Match between the Aviva Great Britain and Northern Ireland squad, the United States and a Europe Select side.

The host nation triumphed from the American and the European visitors although their only individual victory came in the junior women's race won by European junior gold medallost Emelia Gorecka.

The senior men's 8km event saw Ayad Lamdassem run a perfect race to score a comfortable win ahead of Bobby Mack and more importantly Atelaw Bekele who beat him for the European Cross Country title in  Velenje last month.

The Spaniard looking fresh as a daisy produced a scorching finish when flying away in the final 250m from Bekele who had looked powerful in the early stages but then was caught by Lamdassem, Jonny Grey with his American colleague Bobby Mack just off the pace.

While Lamdassem who after his determined sprint crossed the line in 25:44 was never going to be caught, Mack sixth finisher last year, raise his game to snatch the runner up slot when his late spurt saw him pass Bekele on the line both sharing the same time of 25:47.

"I knew it would be hard because of the elite athletes who I would have to beat and were in the race," said Lamdassem. "Bekele is a very strong cross country runner and after Velenje, I was determined to beat him."

Fionnuala Britton in her first race since clinching the European Cross Country title, produced a display which was even more dominant when whipping the opposition on that occasion.

The Irishwoman who many believe could emerge in the footsteps of Sonia O'Sullivan if she can continue her momentum on the track where she is planning to race 5000m and 10000m at the Olympic Games, bided her time for the first kilometre.

Then the Europe Select team captain quickly hit the front and although tested initially by Gemma Steel third behind her in Velenje, pulled well clear of the Briton with a pulsating final two kilometre circuit of the Royal Park.

It saw the 27-year-old finish 20 seconds clear of Steel who chased her pluckily to the end with her Brit team mate Elle Baker coming through to gap third in 22:08.

After the festivities over the holidays where I relaxed, I felt the pressure," said Britton. "I suppose I knew I was the person everyone was going to try and chase down and that's what happened."

Britton an international class  3000m steeplechaser and eyeing the Olympics, added: "I've been told I need to up my distance and I've finally accepted the fact."

Ethiopian-born Kirubel Erassa ran a perfect race to win the junior men's 6km race when, biding his time, he kept to his race plan when Mark Shaw and Kieron Clements of Great Britain made a determined break 11:30 into the contest.

Erassa who moved to the USA in 2005, gradually hauled in first Shaw then Clements before unleashing a powerful finish which carried him to a comfortable victory.

The 18-year-old winner who has a twin sister and nine siblings crossed the line in 19:56 with fast finishing Clements and Shaw posting marks of 19:57 and 19:59 behind him.

Gorecka was also rewarded for her patience when taking the junior women's 4km title after staying with the pack rather than chase the USA's Erin Finn who blasted away after it started.

She bided her time before beginning her pursuit and hauling in her American rival before the halfway point and then stamping her mark on the race.

The 17-year-old still a junior until the end of 2013 then piled on the pace to win by a huge margin in 14:48. She was followed by the American pair of Aisling Cuffe and Molly Seidel who clocked 15:09 and 15:16.

Leading Results
Men
International Team Match
1, Great Britain & Northern Ireland 144 points, United States 196 points, Europe Select 215
Individual Results
Men
Senior (8km)
1, A Lamdassem (EUR) 25:44
2, B Mack (US) 25:47
3, A Bekele (EUR) 25:47
4, J Grey (US) 22:52
5, F Tickner (GB) 25:55
6, J Guerra (EUR) 26:00
7, S Vernon (GB) 26:00                                  
8, T Humphries (GB) 26:07
9, A Meftah (EUR) 26:10
10, J Taylor (GB) 26:13 
Junior (6km)
1, K Erassa (US) 19:56
2, K Clements (GB) 19:57
3, M Shaw (GB) 19:59
4, E Owens (US) 20:09
5, A Gardner (US) 20:11
6, S Tobin (IRL/Ind) 20:15
International 3Km
1, A Kiprop (Kenya) 9:20
2, J Hay (GB) 9:25
3, E Kipchoge (Kenya) 9:26
4, J-C Hihuero (Spain) 9:26
5, R Stevenson (GB) 9:30
6, R Millington (GB) 9:34
7, C Hawkins (GB) 9:39
8, A Casado (Spain) 9:40
9, S Vernon (GB) 9:41
10, A Wiles (GB) 9:42
11, K Bekele (Ethiopia) 9:42
12, B Kipruto (Kenya)
Women
Senior (6km)
1, F Britton (EUR) 21:32
2, G Steel (GB) 21:52
3, E Baker (GB) 22:08
4, N Spence (US) 22:11
5, F Murray (GB) 22:22:17
6, H Dean (GB) 22:29
7, R Barca (EUR) 22:32
8, H Walker (GB) 22:33
9, S Twell (GB) 22:37
10, L Thweatt ((US)
Junior (4km)
1, E Gorfecka (GB) 14:48
2, A Cuffe (US) 15:09
3, M Seidel (US) 15:16
4, K Knight (US) 1`5:23
5, I Lake (GB) 15:27
6, J Jackson (US) 15:29

Thanks to Dave Martin from Nova International for the results and article 

Starman and Pineapple Dance

Something I have seen over the festive season....

I have been watching a bit of ‘unusual time’ telly over the Christmas period, due to a restless dog and dodgy sleeping patterns from me.  Suffice to say, I have seen some good stuff and one totally bazaar programme that I want to share.

I know I might be in the minority here but I have seen – with my own eyes- this programme based around the Pineapple Dance Studios.  Forgive me if you have seen it and I wouldn’t normally watch stuff like this but, a lot like Jeremy Kyle, it drags you in!

This is a ‘mock-umentary’ at its best.  If I saw David Brent wander in for a ‘class’ I would not be surprised one bit.  The staff are split into two camp –and I use the word wisely.  There are the staff that keep the place going – real people who do what is needed to make a dance studio make money and there is another set who it seems their role is to live their lives in a film about how wonderful THEY ARE!  

Example one:  There is a failed dancer / teacher / ego who has put together a band for his own promotion – STARMAN.  Heard of them? No you won’t have!

The episode I saw had them showcasing their ‘talent’ in front of various agents who were looking for the ‘next big thing’.  They didn’t find it.

What did come out was that one of the agents liked the backing singer and thought that she should be the ‘frontman’ of the band.  She, one of the real people in this programme, was head and shoulders above the lead – but not in the ‘I - love- me’ stakes but in singing ability. The manager of the band (another from the David Brent stable) told the agent that ‘he would not change the band the lead singer IS the band’.  Sounds like a line from ‘Fame’.

The voiceover – more on that later – leads us to a ‘meeting ‘with the manager and the girl backing singer.  In it he tells the girl that she is not in the band anymore and wishes her luck.  Her face is awash with puzzlement and confusion.  The reason: only a couple of days before she had had a meeting with the manager telling him she was leaving the band as the agent had asked her to sign with him.  Talk about a set-up to save face!

Next, this thing called Louie Spence.  I have seen him on a few ‘panel shows’ and wondered why /what/ how and when he became a ‘celebrity’.   His part is best summed up by Paul Morley from the Guardian: “His role appears to involve mincing at high speed along the corridors in a state of considerable agitation acting like he's joining the dots between John Inman, Liza Minelli, Kermit the Frog, Tim Curry, H from Steps, Danny La Rue, Freddie Mercury and Alan Cumming. He responds to a puzzling world through a series of ridiculous gestures, nervous tics, gross mannerisms and suggestive body moves like a demented mime act – he'd rather pull a face and give us a twirl to make a comment on the world and his bizarre place in it than use words.” Couldn’t put it better.

He is so camp he gives camp a bad name but, and this is why I think this is a fabulous mock-umentry - he doesn’t do anything!  He makes panto dames look like members of the RSC.  He reminds me of someone who’s boat has sailed and he is desperately swimming after it.  Everything is a drama and if you look in the background of all of his scenes, you see ‘real people’ sniggering and being embarrassed by the whole charade.

Finally, why I think this is a wind up (but it isn’t) is the voiceover by Michael Burke.  His tone and seriousness gives the whole thing a surreal feel, very much like the very first episode of ‘The Office’.  Full marks to the production team for making this p***take while convincing the ‘players’ it was serious and worth taking part.

Watch it again – don’t think so

Hear about Starman again – don’t think so

Louie Spence – will travel the Z-list for a short time with Big Brother winners and X-factor ‘last 10’ bands.

Happy days