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Dec-10-2005
No Expectations for Kiplagat at European Cross Country Championships
by Bob Ramsak
(c) Race Results Weekly, all rights reserved
Although she arrives in Tilburg armed with the field's finest international resume, Lornah Kiplagat has no expectations as she leads the host nation in Sunday afternoon's contest.
"Of course, I plan on doing my best, but I'm not really expecting anything,"
said the xx-year-old, who arrived in Tilburg from her native Kenya on Thursday. "I've prepared well, even though I'm not a crosser," she said.
With a laugh she added: "I don't really like cross country. But I'm looking forward to see what I can do. I just want to do as good as possible."
Kiplagat, who finished 10th at the ING New York City Marathon five weeks ago, said Tilburg has always been part of her autumn racing plan. She took just two weeks off after New York instead of her usual six, and said she'll take a longer break after Sunday's race.
While downplaying her cross country resume, Kiplagat has competed well in the discipline, most recently with her sixth place finish at the 2004 IAAF World Cross Country Championships in Brussels.
"That was a very good time of the year for me," she said. "I had just run a 10 kilometer race in Puerto Rico and I had run very well. And my shape was good for that time (of the year). So without expectations, I had run very well in Brussels."
At the World's Best 10-K in San Juan in February of that year, Kiplagat fought rain and strong winds to take the win, beating Paula Radcliffe by four seconds.
After a tour of the course this morning, Kiplagat described it as "perfect."
Tomorrow could go good or it could go bad. We'll see. But of course, I don't like to lose."
Briton Hayley Yelling, the defending champion, echoed Kiplagat's 'no expectations' line.
"My preparation has been up-and-down," she said. "I'm trying not to have any expectations and will really just try to enjoy it."
Other favorites in the women's field include Hungary's Aniko Kalovics and Justyna Bak of Poland. In an exciting sprint finish last year, Yelling edged Bak for the gold.
The women's 6500m race is scheduled for 1:50 p.m. local time.
Live, delay and highlight coverage of the race will be broadcast by Eurosport, the BBC, Belgium's BVRT, Spain's TVE, France 2 and 3, ERT in Greece, Ireland's RTE, Italy's RAI, NOS in The Netherlands, RTP in Portugal and Russia's RTR.
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