Clean sweep for Ethiopian women

Ethiopia's finest eclipse the effort of Briton Paula Radcliffe

Olympic champion Derartu Tulu led an Ethiopian one-two-three in the 10,000m at the World Championships in Edmonton.

Olympic silver medallist Berhane Adere took the silver and Gete Wami just eased out Britain's Paula Radcliffe to take bronze.

Radcliffe made a decisive break from the pack with about three laps remaining but failed to shrug off the three Ethiopians.

And her resistance was broken 300 metres from the finish as Derartu and Berhane swept past.

Derartu - who also won this year's London Marathon - just managed to hold off Berhane in a thrilling race to the line.

No less exiting was the battle for third with Olympic silver medallist Gete just pipping Radcliffe down the home straight to make it a glorious clean sweep for Ethiopia.

Derartu won in a time 31 minutes 48.81 seconds.

Praise

Radcliffe praised the running of the Ethiopians.

"My plan for the race had the option for me to go to the front earlier, and maybe I should have, but it didn't feel right.

"It felt right when I did go and I went hard, but I had Tulu clicking my heels. I knew they (the Ethiopians) would run as a team and when I went they gathered behind me.

"I still felt with 200m to go that I might hang on for the bronze, but Wami came back at me and when I tried to go again the line came up too quickly."

Ethiopians now have the men's 10,000m to look forward to with Olympic champion Haile Gebrselassie the red hot favourite.