For the last four decades, Ethiopia has won a medal at every World XC Championships. It’s an unbelievable 44-year streak built on dominance and talent. But the streak is now in jeopardy. On Tuesday, it was reported that more than a dozen Ethiopian athletes were denied travel visas to the U.S. ahead of this weekend’s World XC Championships in Tallahassee, Fla.
According to a report from LetsRun.com, the Ethiopian Athletics Federation confirmed that 14 of its 18 U20 athletes had their U.S. visa applications rejected by the American embassy in Addis Ababa. Two members of the 4 x 2km mixed relay and four senior athletes were also affected.
Ethiopia had intended to send full squads of six men and six women across all age groups. Instead, only one U20 male runner, Ayele Sewnet, was granted a visa. With four runners required to score in cross-country team competition, Ethiopia will be unable to record a team result in either the U20 men’s or U20 women’s races, ending its 44-year medal streak.
The situation for Ethiopia is less dire at the senior level. LetsRun.com reports that Ethiopia was able to replace the affected senior athletes with runners who already held valid visas or were based in the U.S., allowing the country to field full teams for both the senior men’s and women’s races, as well as the mixed relay.
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The Ethiopian Athletics Federation said the visa applications were first submitted on Dec. 12, roughly one month after the country’s national cross-country trials. Of the initial 34 visa requests, 23 were reportedly denied. A second round of applications, submitted weeks later, had the same result.
Canadian Running contacted a source within Ethiopian athletics, who said neither the federation nor athletes were provided with an explanation for why the visas were rejected.
Ethiopia is not alone in facing issues. Eritrea, which sent more than half a dozen athletes to the last two World Cross Country Championships in Serbia and Australia, will be unable to compete in the 2026 edition after the country was placed under a full U.S. travel ban in June 2025 by President Donald Trump.
From The Reporter Magazine
World Athletics said it became aware of Ethiopia’s issue in mid-December. LetsRun.com reported that World Athletics president Seb Coe said he had been working with the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee in an attempt to resolve the situation. Coe underlined the importance of having Ethiopia at these championships, given the nation’s rich history in the event. “It’s very important that if you host a World Cross Country Championships, you have Ethiopia there,” he said.
Other countries not sending a team to the U.S. include Italy, Germany, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Austria, Czechia, Croatia, Denmark, Finland, Hungary, Ukraine, Turkey, Serbia and Switzerland.
Visa complications seem to be a recurring challenge at major international competitions, but concerns are growing as the U.S. is slated to host more global athletics events over the next three years, including the 2026 World Athletics U20 Championships in Eugene, Ore., and the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles.
(Canadian Running)