Double Olympic champion Beatrice Chebet is set to bring her fierce form to the 42nd Italica International Cross Country meeting on November 17, a highlight event on the World Athletics Cross Country Tour Gold circuit.
Chebet stunned the world in Paris in August with her dual gold-winning performances in the 5,000m and 10,000m.
She secured the 10,000m gong in a time of 30:43.25 leading Italy’s Nadia Battocletti ( 30:43.35 ) and Olympic marathon champion Sifan Hassan of Netherlands ( 30:44.12 ).
Chebet went on to add the 5,000m title, finishing in 14:28.56 outpacing three-time Olympic 1,500m champion Faith Kipyegon ( 14:29.60 ) and Hassan ( 14:30.61 ).
Chebet is no stranger to cross-country success.
She captured the World U20 Cross Country title in Denmark in 2019 in 20:50.
In 2021, Chebet placed second at the Atapuerca 8km Cross Country event in 25:04 behind Eritrea’s Rahel Ghebreneyohannes ( 25:03 ).
That same year, she clocked 24:35 for a third-place finish at the Seville 7km cross-country meeting.
In 2022, she returned to Atapuerca, this time claiming the title in 25:39.
Last year, she claimed the World Cross Country Championships title in Bathurst, Australia clocking 33:48 with Ethiopia’s Tsigie Gebreselama ( 33:56 ) in second and Agnes Ngetich ( 34:00 ) completing the podium.
She defended her title this year in Belgrade, Serbia, finishing in 31:05 ahead of compatriots Lilian Kasait ( 31:08 ) and Margaret Chelimo ( 31:09 ).
Her illustrious track career boasts silver and bronze medals in the 5,000m during the 2022 (Eugene) and 2023 (Budapest) World Championships.
She boasts gold from the 2022 Birmingham Commonwealth Games as well as the Saint Pierre African Games, both in the 5,000m.
Chebet is the 2018 World Junior 5,000m champion as well as the 2019 African 5,000m junior champion.
In Italy, Chebet will be in the company of 2024 World U20 3,000m steeplechase bronze medallist Diana Chepkemoi as well as the 2018 World 3,000m steeplechase champion Daisy Jepkemei.
The trio will face off against European 3,000m steeplechase record holder Alice Finot of France as well as the World U20 5,000m bronze medallist Charity Cherop of Uganda.
Sweden’s Sarah Lahti, Portugal’s Mariana Machado and Spain’s Carolina Robles will add depth to the field.
In the men’s field, Olympic 10,000m silver medallist Berihu Aregawi from Ethiopia will lead the charge.
His main rivals will be the 2024 Rome Half Marathon champion Yemaneberhan Crippa of Italy as well as Ugandan’s Dan Kibet, Hosea Kiplangat and Kenneth Kiprop.
Portugal’s Etson Barros, Uruguay’s
Santiago Catrofe and Spain’s adel
Mechaal add depth to the field.
