NAIROBI, Jan. 18 (Xinhua) -- World 5,000m champion Hellen Obiri will be the woman to beat in Seville on Sunday during the 'Cross Internacional de Italica', the sixth leg of the World Athletics Cross Country Permit series.
After winning the fifth leg last Sunday in Elgoibar, Obiri, 30, will take on another Kenyan Beatrice Chebet.
The 19-year-old Chebet should pose the main danger for Obiri alongside the world silver medalist Margaret Chelimo.
"Cross country is good for endurance and giving the body strength. That is why I have to do well and have a good foundation to launch the season," said Obiri on Saturday.
Chelimo, 26, captured a surprise silver in Doha where she set a lifetime best of 14:27.49 and has shown fine form recently by winning a 5km road race in Bolzano on Dec. 31 before taking second at the Campaccio cross country on Jan 6.
"It will be good to win in Seville against Obiri and prove that I have high potential to win gold at the Tokyo Olympics," said Chelimo.
Trying to deny a Kenyan clean sweep over the 9km course will be Ethiopia's Tsehay Gemechu, fourth at the Doha worlds over 5000m in a career-best of 14:29.60.
Barely two weeks later, the 21-year-old set a 1:06:00 personal record for the half marathon in New Delhi.
She will be racing her first race of the year on Sunday. Gemechu will be joined by fellow Ethiopian Tsige Abreha, the winner in Amorebieta.
Kenya's Eva Cherono, third in Elgoibar, and Bahrain's World Championships marathon silver medalist Rose Chelimo will also be on show.
The European response should come from Spain's Irene Sanchez-Escribano, fifth in Elgoibar and Britain's former (2014 and 2015) European XC silver medalist Kate Avery, who finished 30th at the Lisbon Europeans and is fresh from an easy cross country win in Stirling last Saturday.
Ethiopia's Tadese Worku will lead the men's quest for glory in Seville. Kenya's Richard Yator and Aron Kifle, runner-up and third respectively in Elgoibar should also be in contention.
