BRUSSELS, 22 March 2004 — Ethiopian Kenenisa Bekele confirmed his status as the world’s outstanding distance runner yesterday with a commanding victory in the men’s long distance race at the world cross-country championships.

Bekele made no contest of the demanding 12-km event on the second and final day of the world championships, floating to the front after eight km to win in 35 minutes 52 seconds, 18 seconds ahead of compatriot Gebre Gebremariam.

Another Ethiopian, Sileshi Sihine finished third despite falling on the slippery surface during the penultimate lap.

Watched by International Olympic Committee president Jacques Rogge of Belgium, the world 10,000 meters champion completed his third consecutive long and short course double.

The only man ever to win both events, he not only led Ethiopia to a clean sweep of the medals but also helped the North Africans end 18 years of Kenyan dominance in the men’s long course team event.

In all, Ethiopia, who finished third in last year’s Paris world athletics championships, won 15 of the 18 medals available with the primary challenge to their supremacy coming from Australian Benita Johnson who won the women’s long course race on Saturday.

Johnson, who had promised to celebrate on Saturday night, did not start in yesterday’s women’s short course race, which was won for the fourth consecutive time by Kenyan Edith Masai.

“Especially this year, I am extremely happy with what we have done as a team because we haven’t done so well before,” Bekele said. “Personally I don’t think I will run them both again.”

Bekele felt Saturday’s four-km race, staged in pouring rain, to be the harder of the two but it did not affect his performance. “I didn’t feel any particular difficulty from running yesterday,” he said.

The only man to win the double since the short course race was introduced in 1998, streaked to the front after eight km and remorselessly increased his margin, running on his own in the final stages.

Masai, 36, who started serious running five years ago, to provide for herself and her son after separating from her husband, won the four-km event in 13 minutes seven seconds. Ethiopia’s world 5,000 meters champion Tirunesh Dibaba was second two seconds behind followed by team mate Tebya Erkesso. Masai, who won the first senior individual medal for Kenya on the second day of the two-day championships, took the lead after team mate Peninah Jepchumba had taken the field through the first two km in six minutes 25 seconds.

She was chased hard by the Ethiopians, who included last year’s long course champion Werknesh Kidane, but held off the opposition to win comfortably.

“It was not an easy win,” said Masai. “I tried to shake off the Ethiopians several times during the race but I didn’t succeed. With 300 meters to go, I saw the opportunity to beat them in the sprint and I broke away.”