Little-known Loibach upsets Cheptai, Jebitok in cross country trials
Teenager Grace Loibach from Elgeyo Marakwet wins the senior women’s 10 kilometres race during the national trials for the World Cross Country Championships at the Kenya Prisons Staff Training College on December 10, 2022.
What you need to know:
- The 19-year-old Loibach, who won the junior race at the Machakos leg of the Athletics Kenya Cross Country Series, scaled to senior ranks in style, clocking 32 minutes and 32.3 seconds to prevail.
- Loibach hit the front with two laps to go before edging out regulars Edinah Jebitok and the 2017 World Cross Country champion Irene Cheptai to second and third places in 32:37.1 and 32:53.3 respectively.
Teenager Grace Loibach from Elgeyo Marakwet stunned a strong field to win senior women’s 10 kilometres race during the national trials for the World Cross Country Championships at the Kenya Prisons Staff Training College on Saturday.
The 19-year-old Loibach, who won the junior race at the Machakos leg of the Athletics Kenya Cross Country Series, scaled to senior ranks in style, clocking 32 minutes and 32.3 seconds to prevail.
Athletes compete in the senior women’s 10 kilometres race during the national trials for the World Cross Country Championships at the Kenya Prisons Staff Training College on December 10, 2022.
Loibach hit the front with two laps to go before edging out regulars Edinah Jebitok and the 2017 World Cross Country champion Irene Cheptai to second and third places in 32:37.1 and 32:53.3 respectively.
It will be the first time Loibach will be representing the country. Jebitok is the 2017 World Under-18 1,500m bronze medallist while Cheptai is fresh from claiming silver in 10,000m at the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham in August.
The World Cross Country Championships are scheduled for February 18 at Mount Panorama Circuit, Bathurst, Australia.
“It’s such a great feeling to win here. I won the junior race in Machakos but was told my age limit isn’t within the required bracket hence I had to scale up,” said Loibach, who went on to win the senior women's 10km race at the Sotik leg of the AK Cross Country Series.
“I have a strong team in Jebitok and Cheptai, who should guide me well in training,” said Loibach.
“It presents a great opportunity for me to go and reclaim my title in Australia,” said Cheptai, who said that she will then move to road running next year. “I still stand by my decision to quit track.”
