Watch as Kenya's Jebitok mistakenly stops a few meters to finishline but ends up winning [VIDEO]

ATHLETICS Watch as Kenya's Jebitok mistakenly stops a few meters to finishline but ends up winning [VIDEO]

Abigael Wafula 10:53 - 13.11.2023

Edinah Jebitok has set an ambitious goal after her success at the Cross Internacional de Italica.

Edinah Jebitok stunned her fans at Sunday's Cross Internacional de Italica, the fourth World Athletics Cross Country Tour Gold meeting of the season when she stopped a few meters from the finish line in the belief that she had finished the race. 

The race was a thrilling battle despite the withdrawal of Beatrice Chebet on the eve of the event because of illness. All eyes were now on Jebitok to dominate and she did not disappoint. She broke away from the rest of the lead group at the start of the second 2450m circuit.

After a few meters, Ethiopia’s Senayet Getachew and Jebitok were now running together at the helm midway through the race.

Throughout the penultimate loop, Jebitok and Getachew tried to lose each other but neither managed to do so. By the bell, the pair had built a 20-second margin ahead of the chasing group.

Already on the closing lap with the clock reading 25:40, Jebitok unleashed another kick and was able to leave Getachew behind for the second time, opening a six-second margin with 1000m remaining.

Jebitok then found another gear and reached the narrow final bend a few metres ahead but to the astonishment of the crowd she stopped in the belief that she had crossed the finish line.

Getachew took advantage and overtook her but Jebitok did not give up and passed her rival in the final metre to win by the narrowest of margins. Both athletes were credited with a finishing time of 32:39.

After a hard-fought win, Jebitok has set her sights on being the overall victor of the 2023/24 Cross Country Tour. The 22-year-old has been off to a good start in her campaign, winning two of the meetings and finishing third in one.

She started with a third-place finish at the Cross Internacional de Atapuerca and has won two of her consecutive meetings, 67 Cross Internacional de San Sebastián and the XLI Cross Internacional de Italica.

“I'm so satisfied with my European tour as I have won twice and was runner-up in Atapuerca. My main goal is to be the overall victor of this season's Cross-Country Tour,” she told World Athletics.

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The men’s race was also held over 9918m and witnessed an early lead by Ronald Kwemoi. He was closely followed by his compatriots Chepkwony and Ishmael Kipkurui with Burundi's Rodrigue Kwizera and Uganda's Martin Kiprotich also in the mix.

The opening lap also featured the Spanish pair of Mo Katir and Abdessamad Oukhelfen. The second lap saw Kiprotich, Kwemoi, and Kwizera take on most of the pacing duties.

Chepkwony then moved to the front for the first time with around 500m remaining and he went on to win the race in 29:09.

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