Balew takes second in Italian XC race
TDT | Manama
The Daily Tribune – www.newsofbahrain.com
Bahrain’s elite athlete Birhanu Balew raced to an impressive second-place finish in the 10-kilometre men’s race at the 66th Campaccio-International Cross Country meeting in San Giorgio su Legnano in Italy.
Balew was in contention for much of the event, engaged in a heated duel with Rodrigue Kwizera of Burundi, with whom he was making his debut in the race.
The pair led a group of eight over two laps, and then on the decisive go-around, Balew and Kwizera made an exciting final sprint to the finish.
Both runners eventually crossed the finish line with the same time of 28 minutes and 42 seconds, with Kwizera claiming the win by a hair’s breadth.
Yemaneberhan Crippa of Italy came third five seconds behind, while Oscar Chelimo of Uganda, Egide Ntakarutimana of Burundi, and Mohamed Amin Jhinaoui of Tunisia completed the men’s top six.
Balew’s time in the race was close to his personal best of 28:20 in the distance for an outdoor race.
The former Asian Games gold-medallist and Asian champion’s fastest came in 2021 in Herzogenaurach, Germany.
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