By Duncan Mackay
December 8 - Spain's Alemayehu Bezabeh produced the biggest winning margin for nine years in the European Cross Country Championships in Belgrade less than a year after returning from a doping suspension after being implicated in Operación Galgo.
December 8 - Spain's Alemayehu Bezabeh produced the biggest winning margin for nine years in the European Cross Country Championships in Belgrade less than a year after returning from a doping suspension after being implicated in Operación Galgo.
The 27-year-old Ethiopian refugee was supreme as he regained the title he had won in Dublin four years ago when he beat Britain's Mo Farah.
But a year later he was caught up in an investigation by the Spanish Guardia Civil into an alleged doping ring among athletes in Spain orchestrated by Eufemiano Fuentes, who was also behind Operación Puerto which involved the systematic doping of cyclists, footballers and tennis players.
Bezabeh was caught carrying a bag of his own blood for a transfusion and was arrested, leading to his late withdrawal from European Cross Country Championships in Albufeira, where he had been due to defend the title won in the Irish capital the previous year.
The Royal Spanish Athletic Federation (RFA) believed Bezabeh's version of events that he thought he was carrying the bag of blood because it was going to be analysed for a liver problem but he was still banned for two years.
There was no doubting how dominant he was in Belgrade as he won by 21 seconds over the 10 kilometre course, leading Spain to team gold.
It was the biggest winning margin since Ukraine's Serhiy Lebid beat Spain's Juan Carlos de la Ossa by 23 seconds in Heringsdorf in 2004.
Turkey's Polat Kemboi Arikan had been leading when he tripped over one of the small obstacles on the course, fell back to tenth but recovered to finish second as Britain's Andy Vernon claimed bronze following a photo-finish.
France's Sophie Duarte won the individual women's title at the European Cross Country Championships in Belgrade ©Getty Images
Britain were the dominant country as they won a total of nine medals, including five gold.
This included team gold in the women's race where France's Sophie Duarte beat Gemma Steel to win the individual prize.
Contact the writer of this story at [email protected]
There was no doubting how dominant he was in Belgrade as he won by 21 seconds over the 10 kilometre course, leading Spain to team gold.
It was the biggest winning margin since Ukraine's Serhiy Lebid beat Spain's Juan Carlos de la Ossa by 23 seconds in Heringsdorf in 2004.
Turkey's Polat Kemboi Arikan had been leading when he tripped over one of the small obstacles on the course, fell back to tenth but recovered to finish second as Britain's Andy Vernon claimed bronze following a photo-finish.
France's Sophie Duarte won the individual women's title at the European Cross Country Championships in Belgrade ©Getty ImagesBritain were the dominant country as they won a total of nine medals, including five gold.
This included team gold in the women's race where France's Sophie Duarte beat Gemma Steel to win the individual prize.
Contact the writer of this story at [email protected]
