King Kiplimo

There was never a time Uganda carried two medal hopefuls into the same athletics event not until Joshua Cheptegei and Jacob Kiplimo showed up in 2016. 

Since 2017, the pair has shared medals across the long-distance front, skinning a combined five world records in the process. 

Yet, when it’s come to the road, the younger counterpart Kiplimo has thrived more. 

The youngster on Saturday bagged the senior men’s 10km title to cap an impressive day for Uganda during the 44th World Cross-country Championships in Bathurst, Australia. 

Kiplimo powered to his career fifth global championship medal after breaking away from a classic field in the final kilometre on the tedious Mount Panorama Circuit course to win the day’s final event in a time of 29 minutes and 17 seconds. 

“It was not easy but I did my best,” Kiplimo told the media shortly after celebrating with Cheptegei. "The course was really good, even with lots of wind, it was really intense," he said. 

The 2019 winner Cheptegei, who had hit the front midway the race, finished with a bronze medal in 29:37 behind Ethiopian Berihu Aregawi. 

The 1-3 finish meant Uganda finished with a team bronze, after youngster Rogers Kibet and national champion Martin Kiprotich had come through in 15th and 18th places respectively. 

At just 22, Kiplimo’s career is incredibly illustrious. Probably, Cheptegei has won more global titles but for championship medals, Kiplimo is on a row and also here for a long haul. 

Kiplimo maintained his record. He has won a championship medal every year since breaking out in 1016. 

Before Bathurst, he had been in Cheptegei’s shadow whenever the two met in the same race. 

Kiplimo had previously beat Cheptegei just once when he powered to the 2020 World Half-Marathon Championship title in Gdynia, Poland.

But with the triumph in Bathurst, Kiplimo, who racked up a Commonwealth double last year, is growing into a big bull in the kraal like Cheptegei. 

He has won an individual medal on every World X-country appearance since Kampala 2017 and now boasts of four global titles, three previously with Cheptegei. 

"I am very happy for Jacob, because we were working as a team and with each other to prepare and win the title,” Cheptegei said of his counterpart. 

Unlike Kiplimo who has been solid since the Commonwealth delight in Birmingham, England last August, the reigning world 10000m champion and record holder Cheptegei had to recover from a knee problem to compete in Bathurst. 

He missed the Commonwealth Games and the Great North Run England, the National Cross-country Championships in Tororo last December but won the San Silvestre 10K in Madrid, Spain on New Year’s Eve. His shape was good but probably not best to defend his title in Bathurst.

"The course was challenging... and I think I was not so much prepared, but to come here and be on the podium, I can be grateful," Cheptegei noted. 

He still carried the attention when 122 athletes lined up for the race. Samuel Kibet hit the front on lap 1 to keep Uganda’s presence and was later joined by Kiprotich and by the close of the first 2km, Isaac was with them. 

Cheptegei and Kiplimo were only following proceedings from the back as the head wind blew through strongly. 

Uganda’s show then got interrupted by Ethiopian Tuemay but Kiprotich another Kibet, Rogers this time, worked the pack. 

The gusting wind has had the field get lower temperatures than anticipated but the course, one which has very sharp turns, mud, undulating terrain, mud, steep climbs and slopes, tyre barriers in zig zag format, didn’t offer any roses. 

Cheptegei and Kiplimo joined in on the leading men approaching the mud towards midway point. Cheptegei led through the vineyard as Kiplimo moved to seventh. 

Kenyan Daniel Ebenyo briefly halted the but Kiplimo moved to third place as Cheptegei and two-time winner Geoffrey Kamworor from Kenya engaged new gears. 

When this front trio attempted to speed away, Aregawi entered the mix and when Kiplimo began to peel away inside the final kilometre, Aregawi worked out Kamworor and Cheptegei to get the silver medal in 29:26.

Meanwhile, the senior women’s team was spurred to a bronze medal after Prisca Chesang finished seventh over 10km. The race was won by Beatrice Chebet after pre-race favourite Letesenbet Gidey of Ethiopia had fallen down 100m before the tape. 

In the junior men’s race, Dan Kibet narrowly missed bronze by six seconds after doing a lot of work over the 8km distance. The junior women’s team was beaten by USA to the team bronze medal. 

2023 WORLD ATHLETICS CROSS-COUNTRY

RACE RESULTS 

4 X 2KM MIXED RELAY

1 Kenya 23:14

2 Ethiopia 23:21

3 Australia 23:26

9 Uganda 25:06

JUNIOR WOMEN (6KM)

1 Senayet Getachew (ETH) 20:53

2 Medina Eisa (ETH) 21:00

3 Pamela Kosgei (KEN) 21:01

14 Bentalin Yeko (UGA) 22:24

15 Charity Cherop (UGA) 22:36

16 Felister Chekwemoi (UGA) 22:36

30 Peace Chebet (UGA) 23:46

37 Risper Cherop (UGA) 24:14

JUNIOR MEN (8KM)

1 Ishmael Kipkurui (KEN) 24:29

2 Reynold Cheruyiot (KEN) 24:30

3 Boki Diriba (ETH) 24:31

4 Dan Kibet (UGA) 24:36

6 Kenneth Kiprop (UGA) 24:52

11 Hosea Chemutai (UGA) 25:24

SENIOR WOMEN (10KM)

1 Beatrice Chebet (KEN) 33:48

2 Tsigie Gebreselama (ETH) 33:56

3 Agnes Ngetich (KEN) 34:00

7 Prisca Chesang (UGA) 34:42

10 Stella Chesang (UGA) 34:58

11 Doreen Chesang (UGA) 35:01

13 Annet Chemengich (UGA) 35:08

16 Rispa Cherop (UGA) 35:30

32 Mercyline Chelangat (UGA) 36:30

SENIOR MEN (10KM)

1 Jacob Kiplimo (UGA) 29:17 

2 Berihu Aregawi (ETH) 29:26

3 Joshua Cheptegei (UGA) 29:37

15 Rogers Kibet (UGA) 30:40

18 Martin Kiprotich (UGA) 30:56

24 Isaac Kibet (UGA) 31:12

30 Samuel Kibet (UGA) 31:34

TEAM MEDALS

Junior Women: Ethiopia, Kenya, USA 

Junior Men: Kenya, Ethiopia, USA

Senior Women: Kenya, Ethiopia, Uganda

Senior Men: Kenya, Ethiopia, Uganda

UGANDA’S MEDALS AT THE WORLD-COUNTRY

SENIOR MEN’S RACE

2023 Bathurst: Jacob Kiplimo (Gold), Joshua Cheptegei (Silver)

2019 Aarhus: Joshua Cheptegei (Gold), Jacob Kiplimo (Silver)

2010 Bydgoszcz: Moses Kipsiro (Bronze)

2009 Amman: Moses Kipsiro (Silver)

JUNIOR MEN’S RACE

2019 Aarhus: Oscar Chelimo (Bronze)

2017 Kololo: Jacob Kiplimo (Gold)

2009 Amman: Moses Kibet (Bronze)

2004 Brussels: Boniface Kiprop (Silver)

2003 Lausanne: Boniface Kiprop (Silver)

2002 Dublin: Boniface Kiprop (Bronze)

TEAM MEDALS

2023 Bathurst: Senior Men’s Bronze, Senior Women’s Bronze

2019 Aarhus: Senior Men’s Gold, Senior Women’s Bronze, Junior Men’s Silver

2017 Kampala: Senior Men’s Bronze, Junior Women’s Bronze

2015 Guiyang: Senior Women’s Bronze

2011 Punta Umbria: Senior Men’s Bronze

2010 Bydgoszcz: Junior Men’s Bronze, Junior Women’s Bronze

2008 Edinburgh: Junior Men’s Bronze

2007 Mombasa: Senior Men’s Bronze

2004 Brussels: Junior Men’s Bronze

2003 Lausanne: Junior Men’s Bronze

2002 Dublin: Junior Men’s Bronze

2001 Ostend: Junior Men’s Bronze

2000 Vilamoura: Junior Men’s Bronze