Athletics: Smith 12th in cross country champs

Kimberley Smith finished 12th in the women's long course world cross country championship in St Etienne, France, this morning.

The 23-year-old Aucklander was up with the early pace set by eventual winner, 19-year-old Tirunesh Dibaba of Ethiopia.

Smith finished the 8.108km in 27min 37sec, just over a minute behind Dibaba.

At the 2002 world championships Smith was 52nd and in the 2003 world short course championship she was 61st.

Rebecca Forlong, formerly from Matamata and now living in Melbourne, was 43rd in the junior women's 6.152km in 22min 58sec. New Zealand's other competitor in the race, Sarah Morgan, did not finish.

Rees Buck of Wellington led the New Zealand team in the men's short course 4.196km with 59th placing in 12min 36sec. The team of Adrian Blincoe (69th in 12min 42sec), Ben Ruthe (104th in 13min 6sec) and Dale Summerville (127th in 13min 40sec) were 19th.

Buck competed in the long course championship over 12.020km the next day, finishing 88th in 39min 30sec.

The junior men's team finished 17th, Shafat Salad proving the best placed New Zealander with 64th in 27min in the 8.108km event.

Tim Hodge was 87th in 27min 39sec, Hayden McLaren 104th in 28min 17sec and Dino Bozzone 120 in 29min 13sec.

Jessica Wright was 54th in 14min 38sec and Kate McIlroy 58th in 14min 43sec in the women's short course championship over 4.196km.

- NZPA