Athletics Australia – News – #WXC13: Birmingham finishes an extraordinary 8th in Bydgoszcz

Freezing conditions, intermittent snow and a very muddy course has not deterred Australian Flame Collis Birmingham (Vic) from finishing an extraordinary 8th in the open men’s event at the IAAF World Cross Country Championships in Bydgoszcz (POL).

Battling it out with more than 100 competitors from 30 countries in the 12 kilometre race, Birmingham was unfazed by an initial false start, just the fourth ever registered in the championships forty year history, and headed out strongly in the first lap to sit just 3 seconds shy of the leader coming into the second of six 2 kilometre loops.

Amongst the lead pack and sitting 4th (11:10) after 4 kilometres, Birmingham held his form to stick with those out in front at the half way point and continue amongst the leaders to move through the 8 kilometre checkpoint in 7th (27:27) place.

As eventual medallists Japhet Kipyogen Kiror (KEN, first, 32:45), Imane Merga (ETH, second, 32:51) and Teklemariam Medhin (ERI, third, 32:54) made their move coming into the closing lap, Birmingham was left to do battle for a top-ten finish, holding his nerve to close out the race strongly and stop the clock at 33:18 in 8th.

“My plan was to sit back a bit and come through but the way the race panned out was a series of surges so I tried to keep my pace even which at one stage saw me hit the front. From then I hung on to grab a top ten position,” Birmingham said.

Birmingham’s performance is his best ever at the at IAAF World Cross Country Championships and the third best men’s result by an Australian in history behind 4th by Steve Moneghetti in 1989 and 6th by Robert De Castella (Vic) twice and Moneghetti in 1981, 1983 and 1992 respectively.

“I am obviously very happy with the run. It is great to sit alongside guys like Deek and Mona, especially Mona as a fellow Ballarat athlete. 2013 has certainly opened well for me, and I am rapt to have run like this here alongside the senior boys who put in a great team effort,” Birmingham continued.

It continues what has been an outstanding start to 2013 for the two-time Olympian, with performances to date including first at the World Cross Country Championships Selection Trial, victory across 5000m at the Briggs Athletics Classic and triumph in a personal best time of 1:00:56 at the Maragame Half Marathon.

In a strong result for the Australian men’s team, six-time IAAF World Cross Country Championships representative Liam Adams (NSW) improved his best ever result from the event to cross 23rd (34:07), while training partner of Birmingham and open men’s event debutant Brett Robinson (ACT) finished a promising 29th (34:11). Steve Kelly (Vic) and Mitchel Brown (Vic) rounded out the green and gold contingent in 56th (34:52) and 63rd (35:10) respectively. The Australian men’s team finished 7th overall.

In the open women’s event Tasmin McMahon was the best placed Australian in 78th (27:06). Debutant Sophie Barker (Vic, 81st, 27:13) was next to finish ahead of 2011 IAAF World Cross Country Championships junior representative Celia Sullohern (NSW, 91st, 28:06) and Selection Trial winner Tara Palm (SA, 4th, 28:47).

“Honestly I think I prepared well and handled the conditions. The experience of this race just shows how strong I need to get and that’s what I will be working on,” McMahon said.

“I can’t thank the team we have with us here. It has been such a fantastic vibe across the tour, and it was so great to hear the juniors that had finished cheering for us throughout the race.”

Excitingly, the Australian team of 19 in Bydgoszcz also included nine junior athletes competing in the girl’s and boy’s under 20 events across six kilometres and eight kilometres respectively.

The first athletes to tackle the partly snow covered course, the girl’s race, which featured 88 athletes from 22 countries, was won by the defending champion Faith Kipyogen (KEN) in a time of 17:55.

Handling the conditions well despite a tumble mid-race, Michaela Quinn (NSW) crossed 25th in 19:39 to best the first Australian past the post, with Selection Trial winner Samantha Prime (Vic) running a fantastic closing lap to move up more than ten places to cross 37th (20:18). Amy Cashin (Vic) finished 50th (20:48) and Courtney Scott (Vic) ten spots behind her in 60th (21:11). The Australian quartet ranked 8th out of the 15 competing teams.

 “The conditions were very challenging, it was very slippery in partners and I fell down at one stage but managed to get back up relatively quickly, keep moving and finish well,” Quinn said.

“I’m so happy with my race. It is certainly better than what I thought I was capable of, and the experience overall has been truly amazing.”

Competing in the boy’s event moments later, it was Athletics Australia Under 17 Development Squad graduate Morgan McDonald (NSW), the youngest Australian starter in the race, who was first to bring green and gold across the line when he clocked 23:21 to finish 33rd behind race winner and world junior 5000m record holder Hagos Gebrhiwet (ETH, 21:04).

The multi-talented runner and triathlete Jacob Birtwhistle (Tas) in a time of 23:28 was the next to cross in 41st, ahead of Jack Curran (Qld, 48th, 23:38), Jack Davies (Vic, 49th, 23:38), Sean Guiney (Vic, 65th, 23:57) and Stewart McSweyn (Tas, 86th, 24:38). The Australian team placed 8th from 17 teams.

“I’m so happy with that because I thought I went out a bit hard and I didn’t know if I was going to be able to bring it home,” McDonald said.

“Thankfully I adapted to the conditions here really well, it is certainly not what we were expecting. The cold wasn’t something that I had an issue with and to be honest I think the mud and slush beneath me really suited me.

“I’m rapt for all the boys, we did so well as a team and it’s been awesome to share it with them.”

For more information on the IAAF World Cross Country Championships, please follow this link to the IAAF website.

 

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