SYDNEY : The world cross country championships return after a gap of four years on Saturday in the unlikely location of a motor racing circuit in country Australia, but African domination looks likely to continue unchecked in the Bathurst heat.
The COVID-19 pandemic forced a two-year delay to the biennial championships, giving Ugandan Joshua Cheptegei a longer than usual wait to defend the men's title he won over 10 kilometres in Aarhus, Denmark back in March 2019.
The whole podium from that race, Cheptegei's compatriot and silver medallist Jacob Kiplimo as well as twice champion Geoffrey Kamworor of Kenya, also return to race on a very different course on the infield of the Mount Panorama racetrack.
Organisers have incorporated a sandy "Bondi Beach" and a swampy "Billabong" section into the hilly 2km circuit that also passes through a vineyard.
"It's exciting to see the people who shared the podium in Denmark are here competing on this fantastic course," Olympic 5,000m and world 10,000m champion Cheptegei told reporters on Friday.
"It's going to be a mind blower and something that will stay in our hearts and minds for a long time."
World 10,000m champion Letesenbet Gidey of Ethiopia starts as favourite to win the women's race after finishing third as a 21-year-old in Aarhus four years ago.
The under-20 champion in 2015 and 2017, Gidey will face a strong challenge from compatriots Gete Alemayehu and Tsigie Gebreselama as well as in-form Eritrean Rahel Daniel.
World 5,000m silver medallist and 2019 under-20 champion Beatrice Chebet leads a strong Kenyan team that also includes 37-year-old 2010 and 2013 world cross country champion Emily Chebet.
World Athletics chief Sebastian Coe dismissed the idea that the features on the course were a gimmick and said the governing body had big plans for cross country.
"This is probably the toughest cross country course that's certainly ever been served up at a world championship," he said.
"We want this to be a glide patch to other things as well - the world cross country tour and we'll continue to have discussions with the IOC about making sure it gets recognition at some stage in the Olympic Games."
