Edinburgh, Scotland - After three years in Kenyan hands, Ethiopia regained the Junior Men’s individual title over 8 kilometres today as Ibrahim Jeilan used his proven track speed to see off his challengers in the 36th IAAF World Cross Country Championships at Holyrood Park. Jeilan, the World Junior 10,000m champion, thus made up for his failure to finish in the corresponding race in Mombasa last year and for his fifth place in Fukuoka two years ago.

The 18-year-old Jeilan was thrilled with his victory not only for himself and his country but also for the name of his club, Muger Cement Sports Club.” He had seen Genzebe Dibaba win the Junior Women’s title 30 minutes earlier and taken the boost of her victory with him into his race.

“The reason that it was engraved in my head was the fact that, from our club, it was her, myself and Kenenisa (Bekele) who qualified for these World Cross Country Championships, so I had a dream that the three of us would win gold for our club and for our country,” Jeilan said. “That was what I was aiming for.” So it was now up to Bekele, winner of 10 senior individual World Cross Country titles, to complete Jeilan’s desired hat-trick later in the afternoon. Some 90 minutes later, Bekele duly obliged, regaining his title.