Abshero wins juniors, Fernandez 11th
Abshero is another off the East African production line
The 8km junior men’s race was an affair dominated by the Africans. USA athletes tried hard to stay in contention, but had to relent when the speed really picked up around the 6km mark. The pace was the fiercest of the day and young American German Fernandez can leave Jordan happy.
With Kenya, Ethiopia and Eritrea continually swapping the lead, a lead group of 12 developed at around 4km and that group quickly became six by the 5km mark, taken through by Titus Mbishei of Kenya.
American Fernandez, the new junior world indoor mile record holder, was still in contention at this point just drifting off the leading dozen athletes as the pace remained very fast on the undulating Amman course. Going into the last lap the group was still at 6, two Kenyans, three Ethiopians and Ugandan Kibet, with Fernandez in 13th – the first non-African. At around 7km the front-running Mbeshei kicked and whittled the leaders to four, and suddenly only Ethiopian Ayele Abshero could live with the Kenyan.
Coming into the last km Abshero took up affairs and like Diababa in the junior women’s race the Ethiopian left the Kenyan wanting, winning quite easily in the end by 3 seconds. The Kenyans will surely be ruing the Jordanian hills!
Junior men's podium
Kenya took some consolation as they took the team title by a slender 2 point from the Ethiopians.
Provisional results
Individual
1. Ayele Abshero ETH
2. Titus Mbishei KEN
3. Moses Kibet UGA
Team
1. Kenya
2. Ethiopia
3. Eritrea
