World Championships in the Spotlight

It was a big week for cross country running, track cycling and women’s curling as the three sports staged their world championships.

The IAAF held its world cross country championships in Amman, Jordan on Saturday, while the UCI World Track Cycling and WCF Women’s Curling events concluded their week-long runs in Pruszkow, Poland and Gangneung, South Korea respectively on Sunday.

Amman, Jordan Hosts World Cross Country Championships

The IAAF hosted a total of 508 athletes from 63 countries in its world cross country championships at Bisharet Golf Course in Amman, a nine-hole course that is the first private golf facility built in Jordan.

Gebre-egziabher Gebremarium of Ethiopia won the senior men’s title at the IAAF World Cross Country Championships in Amman, Jordan. (Getty Images) It was the third time the event was held in an Arab country, with the Moroccan cities of Rabat and Marrakesh hosting it in 1975 and 1998 respectively.

Approximately 200 coaches and officials were also in attendance, with around 200 media members covering the event.

Over 500 local volunteers were on hand to assist in the running of the event, which was sponsored by adidas, Seiko and Epson.

A total of $280,000 in prize money was awarded, with $30,000 handed out to the men’s and women’s winners.

Gebre-egziabher Gebremarium of Ethiopia won the senior men’s 12km race, while Florence Kipligat of Kenya was the winner of the senior women’s 8K competition, becoming the first Kenyan woman to win the event in 15 years.

Track Cyclists Compete in Poland

Pruzskow, a suburb of Warsaw, hosted the UCI World Track Cycling Championships, with 190 cyclists from 33 countries competing in the men’s competition and 100 athletes from 25 nations taking part in the women’s event.

The competition was held at Pruszkow’s BGZ Arena, a roofed velodrome with a seating capacity of 3,500.

Sponsors included Peugot, Iveco, the Polish Ministry of Sports and Tourism, Swiss watch company Tissot and Polish bank BGZ.

A total of 19 medals were awarded in the men’s and women’s team and individual sprint and pursuit and keirin, Gregory Bauge of France claimed two gold medals at the UCI World Track Cycling Championships in Pruszkow, Poland. (Getty Images) the men’s 40km points race, 50K and 15K and women’s 500 meters and omnium.

The competition included the introduction to the program of the women’s omnium, which consists of five events: sprint, 500-meter time trial, individual pursuit, scratch and point races.

Australia led the way among the competing nations with 10 medals, including four golds, while Great Britain took home nine medals.

Gregory Bauge of France and Alex Rasmussen of Denmark each won two gold medals, while Australians Cameron Meyer and Leigh Howard both took one gold and two silvers.

The 2010 UCI Track Cycling Championships will be held in Copenhagen, Denmark, with a representative of the Danish Federation receiving the UCI flag from Polish Cycling Federation chairman Wojciech Walkiewicz during the closing ceremony on Sunday.

Olympic Berths Up for Grabs in Women’s Curling

The WCF Mount Titlis World Women’s Curling Championships wrapped up on Sunday in Gangnueng, which would be one of the venue locations for a potential Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang in 2018.

A total of 60 athletes from 12 countries competed at the Gangneung International Ice Rink, which has a seating capacity of 3,500.

China clinched the team crown at the WCF Mount Titlis World Women’s Curling Championships in Gangneung, South Korea. (WCF/Lee Young Gyu) The competition served as the final opportunity for women’s curlers to qualify for the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver. Securing the 10 Olympic berths were Canada, China, Denmark, Sweden, Switzerland, the United States, Scotland, Germany, Russia and Japan.

It was the first world women’s curling championship to be held in South Korea, but the second time in three years that it has been hosted by an Asian country. Aomori, Japan was the host for the event in 2007.

China became the first Asian country to win the team championship, defeating two-time world champion and 2006 Olympic gold medalist Sweden in the title game before a crowd of 3,800.

Titlis Rotair Cableways and Lucerne Tourism were the joint title sponsors for the event, with Capital One serving as an official presenting sponsor.

Written by Greg Oshust.