2010 WUC Cross-Country: GBR & JPN Claim 17th Edition

Men’s Race

Great Britain and Japan claimed overall titles at the 2010 FISU World University Cross Country Championship on Sunday April 11th at Fort Henry Hill in Kingston, Ont. Great Britain successfully defended its 2008 title on the women’s side while Japan – competing in its first ever championship – won the men’s 10km event. Canada had its best ever overall finish securing a bronze medal in the women’s race and a fourth place finish in the men’s.

Sara Moreira of Portugal captured the women’s 5km race crossing with a time of 16 minutes and 29.3 seconds a full 12 seconds ahead of Jess Sparke of Great Britain. Sparke took the silver with a time of 16:41.9 while her teammate Joanne Harvey was third in 16:48.7. Japan’s Risa Takenaka just missed the podium finishing fourth at 16:55.6.

The Sparke-Harvey two-three duo powered Great Britain to its fourth consecutive and ninth ever women’s title. Australia finished as runner up while Canada picked up its best ever finish placing third. Canada’s best finish prior to today’s result was a pair of seventh place finishes in 2002 and 2004.

The University of Toronto’s Megan Brown (Puslinch, Ont.) posted the top Canadian finish ever at this event placing fifth with a time of 17:09.1. Brown has had much success on Fort Henry Hill having claimed the 2009 Canadian Interuniversity Sport (CIS) Women’s Cross Country Championship last fall and also won the 2008 and 2006 Ontario University Athletics (OUA) Women’s Cross Country Championships individual title on the same course.

Also helping Canada to a podium finish was Lindsay Carson (Cambridge, Ont.) from the University of Guelph placing 11th with a time of 17:20.0. McMaster’s Jessica Pearo (Richamond Hill, Ont.) broke into the top-20 with a 17th place finish while Sherbrooke’s Valrie Blanger (Jonquire, Que) placed 28th.

In the men’s 10km race Tetsuya Yoroizaka from Japan edged Australia’s Liam Adams by one second to secure the gold medal. Yoroizaka finished in 30 minutes and 8.4 seconds while Adams crossed the line in second at 30.9.7. Germany’s Christian Glatting was third in 30:11.5 while Spain’s Polo Guerra and Mohamed Elbendir Kathari finished fourth and fifth respectively.

All four Canadians were able to crack the top-25 with the University of Guelph’s Kyle Boorsma (Guelph, Ont.) leading the way with a 15th place finish crossing the line at 31:12.7. Western’s Kyle O’Neill (Vienna, Ont.) was 20th at 31:12.9 while University of Windsor’s Dave Weston (Windsor, Ont.) and Guelph’s Allan Brett (Ottawa) were 24th and 25th respectively. Guelph’s Matthew Brunsting (Stirling, Ont.) was 27th.

Like Brown, Boorsma and Brett know the Fort Henry Hill course well with Boorsma earning the individual 2009 CIS Men’s Cross Country Championship title in October while Brett claimed the OUA title in 2008 on the same course.

Japan secured gold in the men’s overall result with Spain finishing second. Great Britain was third while Canada finished fourth. 2008 champion, France finished fifth.

In all, 42 female and 54 male runners from 18 countries competed in Sunday’s race. A rebroadcast of the event is available at www.ssncanada.com with full results available at www.sportstats.ca. For more information visit www.xc2010.ca.

(Source: CIS)

Men’s Podium

 Women’s Podium

(Photos: Mark Jeffree)

Final Ranking

Men’s Statistics

Women’s Statistics