Almond Blossom Cross Country
Multiple winners
Table:
Athlete

Country

Wins

Years

Thomas Nyariki

Kenya

4

1997, 1998, 1999, 2002

Josphat Kiprono Menjo

Kenya

4

2008, 2009, 2011, 2012

Fernando Mamede

Portugal

3

1980, 1981, 1983

Aurora Cunha

Portugal

3

1982, 1983, 1984

Wendy Smith-Sly

United Kingdom

2

1980, 1981

Frank Zimmermann

Germany

2

1979, 1984

Rosa Mota

Portugal

2

1978, 1985

António Leitão

Portugal

2

1985, 1986

José Regalo

Portugal

2

1988, 1989

Ondoro Osoro

Kenya

2

1993, 1994

Catherina McKiernan

Ireland

2

1991, 1994

Gabriela Szabo

Romania

2

1995, 1996

Patrick Ivuti

Kenya

2

2001, 2003

Jeļena Prokopčuka

Latvia

2

2006, 2009

Gorreti Chepkoech

Kenya

2

2012, 2013

Based on the given table together with the context snippets below.

Provide an answer to this question: Where is the country of the athlete who never won any high-level competition as he dealt very badly with pressure located ? Respond with the correct answer (omit explanations) in JSON format as {"answer": "YOUR ANSWER"}. Avoid adding external knowledge.

Tom ( Thomas ) Nyariki ( born September 27 , 1971 in Nyamira ) is a long-distance runner from Kenya . Most notably he won a bronze medal on the 5,000 metres at the 1997 World Championships . Nyariki is married to Jackline Maranga . Nyariki represents the Kisii tribe from Nyanza . He trains with Kimbia Athletics and is coached by Dieter Hogen . Recently he has competed mostly in road running races in the USA .
Kenya ( /ˈkɛnjə/ ( listen ) ) , officially the Republic of Kenya ( Swahili : Jamhuri ya Kenya ) , is a country in Africa with 47 semiautonomous counties governed by elected governors . At 580,367 square kilometres ( 224,081 sq mi ) , Kenya is the world 's 48th largest country by total area . With a population of more than 47.6 million people , Kenya is the 29th most populous country . Kenya 's capital and largest city is Nairobi , while its oldest city and first capital is the coastal city of Mombasa . Kisumu City is the third largest city and also an inland port on Lake Victoria . Other important urban centres include Nakuru and Eldoret . Kenya is bordered by South Sudan to the northwest , Ethiopia to the north , Somalia to the east , Uganda to the west , Tanzania to the south , and the Indian Ocean to the southeast . According to archaeological dating of associated artifacts and skeletal material , the Cushites first settled in the lowlands of Kenya between 3,200 and 1,300 BC , a phase referred to as the Lowland Savanna Pastoral Neolithic . Nilotic-speaking pastoralists ( ancestral to Kenya 's Nilotic speakers ) started migrating from present-day southern Sudan into Kenya around 500 BC . European colonisation of Kenya began in the 19th century during the European exploration of the interior . Modern-day Kenya emerged from a protectorate established by the British Empire in 1895 and the subsequent Kenya Colony , which began in 1920 . Numerous disputes between the UK and the colony led to the Mau Mau revolution , which began in 1952 , and the subsequent declaration of independence in 1963 .
Josphat Kiprono Menjo ( born 20 August 1979 ) is a Kenyan long-distance runner who specialises in track and road running . A relative latecomer to athletics , Menjo began competing around 2002 and first represented his country at the 2006 African Championships in Athletics , where he was fifth in the 5000 metres . A silver medal in the event at the 2007 All-Africa Games was followed by an eighth-place finish on the global stage , running in the 10,000 metres at the 2007 World Championships in Athletics . He won the San Silvestre Vallecana 10K race at the end of the year . He returned to the continental stage with another fifth place at the 2008 African Championships in Athletics and he continued his road success in Spain with consecutive wins at the Cursa de Bombers in 2008 and 2009 . Entering into his thirties , Menjo had a career breakthrough in 2010 , recording many personal bests : he won the Cursa Bombers in 27:04 minutes to become the joint third fastest over the distance and ran 26:56.74 for the 10,000 m - the fastest by any athlete that year .
Fernando Eugénio Pacheco Mamede , ComM ( born 1 November 1951 ) is a former Portuguese athlete , a long distance running specialist . He was born in Beja . Together with Carlos Lopes , he is one of the best Portuguese male long distance runners ever , and held the 10,000 metres world record ( 1984-1989 ) with a time of 27:13.81 until bettered by Arturo Barrios of Mexico . He also competed at three Olympic Games . However , he never won any high-level competition as he dealt very badly with pressure . In the European and World Athletics Championships and Olympics where he competed between 1971 and 1984 , he either was eliminated from the finals , placed outside the top ten runners in them or dropped out of the final . In the 1983 World Championships in Athletics and the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics , he ran excellently in the 10,000-metre qualifying heats , but he placed 14th in the World Championships final and failed to finish in the Olympic final . He remains one of fastest Europeans of all time in the 10,000 metres . Mamede also competed in cross country running , taking part in the IAAF World Cross Country Championships eleven times . His cross country career was highlighted by a bronze medal at the 1981 IAAF World Cross Country Championships and two wins at the Cross Internacional de Itálica .
Portugal ( Portuguese : [ puɾtuˈɣal ] ) , officially the Portuguese Republic ( Portuguese : República Portuguesa [ ʁɛˈpuβlikɐ puɾtuˈɣezɐ ] ) , [ note 5 ] is a country located mostly on the Iberian Peninsula , in southwestern Europe . It is the westernmost sovereign state of mainland Europe , being bordered to the west and south by the Atlantic Ocean and to the north and east by Spain . Its territory also includes the Atlantic archipelagos of the Azores and Madeira , both autonomous regions with their own regional governments . Portugal is the oldest nation state on the Iberian Peninsula and one of the oldest in Europe and the world , its territory having been continuously settled , invaded and fought over since prehistoric times . The pre-Celtic people , Iberians , Celts , Carthaginians and Romans were followed by the invasions of the Visigoths and Suebi Germanic peoples . After the Muslim conquests of the Iberian Peninsula , most of the territory was part of Al-Andalus until their expulsion . Portugal as a country was established during the early Christian Reconquista . Founded in 868 , the County of Portugal gained prominence after the Battle of São Mamede in 1128 . The Kingdom of Portugal was later proclaimed following the Battle of Ourique in 1139 , and independence from León was recognised by the Treaty of Zamora in 1143 . On 12 December 2017 , the Portuguese Navy commemorated the 700th anniversary of its official creation by King Denis of Portugal . Tracing its origins back to the 12th century , it is the oldest continuously serving navy in the world . In the 15th and 16th centuries , Portugal established the first global empire , becoming one of the world 's major economic , political and military powers .
Aurora Cunha ( born May 31 , 1959 in Ronfe , near Guimarães ) is a retired long-distance runner from Portugal , living in Póvoa de Varzim . From 1984-1992 she represented her native country in three consecutive Olympic Games . Cunha 's greatest successes were in road running , at which she was a three-time World Champion . She also won several marathons during her career , including Paris ( 1988 ) , Tokyo ( 1988 ) , Chicago ( 1990 ) and Rotterdam ( 1992 ) .
Wendy Sly MBE ( née Smith , born 5 November 1959 ) is a female British former athlete , who competed mainly in the 3000 metres . She won a silver medal in the event at the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics . She won the 1983 10km World Road Race Championships in San Diego .
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland , commonly known as the United Kingdom ( UK or U.K. ) or Britain , [ note 11 ] is a sovereign country located off the north­western coast of the European mainland . Existing under its current name since 1921 , the United Kingdom includes the island of Great Britain , the north­eastern part of the island of Ireland , and many smaller islands . Northern Ireland shares a land border with the Republic of Ireland . Otherwise , the United Kingdom is surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean , with the North Sea to the east , the English Channel to the south and the Celtic Sea to the southwest , giving it the 12th-longest coastline in the world . The Irish Sea separates Great Britain and Ireland . The total area of the United Kingdom is 94,000 square miles ( 240,000 km2 ) . The United Kingdom is a unitary parliamentary democracy and constitutional monarchy . [ note 12 ] The current monarch is Queen Elizabeth II , who has reigned since 1952 , making her the world 's longest-serving current head of state . The United Kingdom 's capital and largest city is London , a global city and financial centre with an urban area population of 10.3 million . Other major cities include Birmingham , Manchester , Glasgow , Leeds and Liverpool . The United Kingdom consists of four constituent countries : England , Scotland , Wales , and Northern Ireland . Their capitals are London , Edinburgh , Cardiff , and Belfast , respectively .
Germany ( German : Deutschland , German pronunciation : [ ˈdɔʏtʃlant ] ) , constitutionally the Federal Republic of Germany ( German : Bundesrepublik Deutschland , listen ( help·info ) ) , [ f ] is a country in Central and Western Europe . It borders Denmark to the north , Poland and the Czech Republic to the east , Austria and Switzerland to the south , France to the southwest , and Luxembourg , Belgium , and the Netherlands to the west . Germany includes 16 constituent states , covers an area of 357,386 square kilometres ( 137,988 sq mi ) , and has a largely temperate seasonal climate . With 83 million inhabitants , it is the second most populous state of Europe after Russia , the most populous state lying entirely in Europe , as well as the most populous member state of the European Union . Germany is a very decentralised country . Its capital and largest metropolis is Berlin , while Frankfurt serves as its financial capital and has the country 's busiest airport . Various Germanic tribes have inhabited the northern parts of modern Germany since classical antiquity . A region named Germania was documented before AD 100 . Beginning in the 10th century , German territories formed a central part of the Holy Roman Empire . During the 16th century , northern German regions became the centre of the Protestant Reformation . After the collapse of the Holy Roman Empire , the German Confederation was formed in 1815 . The German revolutions of 1848-49 resulted in the Frankfurt Parliament establishing major democratic rights .
Rosa Maria Correia dos Santos Mota , GCIH , GCM ( Portuguese pronunciation : [ ˈʁɔzɐ ˈmɔtɐ ] ; born 29 June 1958 ) is a Portuguese former marathon runner , one of her country 's foremost athletes , being the first sportswoman from Portugal to win Olympic gold . Mota was the first woman to win multiple Olympic marathon medals as well as being the only woman to be the reigning European , World , and Olympic champion at the same time . On the 30th Anniversary Gala of the Association of International Marathons and Distance Races ( AIMS ) she was distinguished as the greatest female marathon runner of all time .
António Carlos Carvalho Nogueira Leitão OIH ( 22 July 1960 - 18 March 2012 ) was a Portuguese athlete who mainly competed in the long distance events .
José Alberto Teixeira Regalo ( born 22 November 1963 ) is a Portuguese long-distance runner . He competed in the men 's 5000 metres at the 1988 Summer Olympics .
Ondoro Osoro ( born 3 December 1967 ) is a former Kenyan long-distance runner who competed mostly in cross country and road races . In his early career he won a series of cross country races in Europe ( taking the first IAAF World Cross Challenge title ) and twice represented Kenya at the IAAF World Cross Country Championships . He also ran the 5000 metres on the track , competing at the World Championships in Athletics and winning a bronze medal at the 1991 All-Africa Games . He won the San Silvestre Vallecana 10 km road race three times during this period . A serious car accident in 1995 left him unable to compete for two years , but he returned to action with a world record for the 10-mile ( 16 km ) run in late 1997 . On his debut over the 42,195 kilometres ( 26,219 mi ) distance , he won the 1998 Chicago Marathon with a time of 2:06:54 hours , which ranked him as the third fastest ever at that point and was the fastest ever debut run for the marathon . He was third in Chicago in 1999 and came fourth at the 2000 Boston Marathon . He was picked for the Kenyan Olympic team at the 2000 Sydney Games , but was shot in the neck during a carjacking in Kenya a month before the competition . He began running again in 2001 , but the kidnapping of his son and a bout of malaria reduced his competitive appearances . Although nerve damage from the shooting meant he ran with a constant lean to the right , he placed third at the 2002 Honolulu Marathon and won the San Diego Marathon in 2003 . He went on to have two more top ten finishes in the San Diego race and placed ninth in the 2004 Frankfurt Marathon .
Catherina McKiernan ( born 30 November 1969 in Cornafean , County Cavan ) is a former long-distance runner from Ireland , who competed in the marathon , 10,000 metres and cross country running .
Ireland ( Irish : Éire [ ˈeːɾʲə ] ( listen ) ) , also known as the Republic of Ireland ( Poblacht na hÉireann ) , is a country in north-western Europe occupying 26 of 32 counties of the island of Ireland . The capital and largest city is Dublin , which is located on the eastern side of the island . Around a third of the country 's population of 4.9 million people resides in the greater Dublin area . The sovereign state shares its only land border with Northern Ireland , a part of the United Kingdom . It is otherwise surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean , with the Celtic Sea to the south , St George 's Channel to the south-east , and the Irish Sea to the east . It is a unitary , parliamentary republic . The legislature , the Oireachtas , consists of a lower house , Dáil Éireann , an upper house , Seanad Éireann , and an elected President ( Uachtarán ) who serves as the largely ceremonial head of state , but with some important powers and duties . The head of government is the Taoiseach ( Prime Minister , literally 'Chief ' , a title not used in English ) , who is elected by the Dáil and appointed by the President ; the Taoiseach in turn appoints other government ministers . The state was created as the Irish Free State in 1922 as a result of the Anglo-Irish Treaty . It had the status of Dominion until 1937 when a new constitution was adopted , in which the state was named Ireland and effectively became a republic , with an elected non-executive president as head of state . It was officially declared a republic in 1949 , following the Republic of Ireland Act 1948 . Ireland became a member of the United Nations in December 1955 .
Gabriela Szabo ( Romanian pronunciation : [ ɡabriˈela ˈsabo ] , born 14 November 1975 ) is a retired Romanian runner . She competed in the 1500 m and 5000 m events at the 1996 and 2000 Olympics and won a gold , a silver and a bronze medal . Szabo was born to a Romanian mother and a Hungarian father . Szabo is a three-time world champion . Throughout her entire career she was coached by Zsolt Gyöngyössy , whom she eventually married . In May 2005 she retired from competitions due to exhaustion . She remains the European record holder in the 3000 m. As of 19 August 2013 she held the honorific title of Romanian Tourism Ambassador , together with other 7 cultural and sport personalities of Romania . On 5 March 2014 , she was appointed Minister of Youth and Sport in the Victor Ponta social-democratic government . Then she was offered some other sinecures .
Romania ( /roʊˈmeɪniə/ ( listen ) ro-MAY-nee-ə ; Romanian : România [ romɨˈni.a ] ( listen ) ) is a country located at the crossroads of Central , Eastern , and Southeastern Europe . It has borders with the Black Sea to the southeast , Bulgaria to the south , Ukraine to the north , Hungary to the west , Serbia to the southwest , and Moldova to the east . It has a predominantly temperate-continental climate . With a total area of 238,397 square kilometers ( 92,046 square miles ) , Romania is the 8th largest country and also the 6th most populous member state of the European Union , having almost 20 million inhabitants . Its capital and largest city is Bucharest , and other major urban areas include Cluj-Napoca , Timișoara , Iași , Constanța , Craiova , Brașov , and Galați . The River Danube , Europe 's second-longest river , rises in Germany 's Black Forest and flows in a general southeast direction for 2,857 km ( 1,775 mi ) , coursing through ten countries before emptying into Romania 's Danube Delta . The Carpathian Mountains , which cross Romania from the north to the southwest , include Moldoveanu Peak , at an altitude of 2,544 m ( 8,346 ft ) . Modern Romania was formed in 1859 through a personal union of the Danubian Principalities of Moldavia and Wallachia . The new state , officially named Romania since 1866 , gained independence from the Ottoman Empire in 1877 . Following World War I after declaring its neutrality in 1914 , when Romania fought on the side of the Allied powers starting with 1916 , Bukovina , Bessarabia , Transylvania as well as parts of Banat , Crișana , and Maramureș became part of the sovereign Kingdom of Romania . In June-August 1940 , as a consequence of the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact and Second Vienna Award , Romania was compelled to cede Bessarabia and Northern Bukovina to the Soviet Union , and Northern Transylvania to Hungary . In November 1940 , Romania signed the Tripartite Pact and , consequently , in June 1941 entered World War II on the Axis side , fighting against the Soviet Union until August 1944 , when it joined the Allies and recovered Northern Transylvania .
Patrick Mukutu Ivuti ( born June 30 , 1978 , Machakos , Kenya ) is a Kenyan long distance athlete , who currently resides in Nairobi , Kenya . A two-time silver medallist at the IAAF World Cross Country Championships , he made his marathon debut in 2005 and had his first major victory at the Chicago Marathon in 2007 . He had back-to-back wins at the Honolulu Marathon in 2008-2009 and was the 2009 winner of the Prague Marathon .
Jeļena Prokopčuka ( née Čelnova ; born 21 September 1976 in Riga , Latvia ) is a Latvian long-distance runner , best known for winning the New York City Marathon in 2005 and 2006 .
Latvia ( /ˈlɑːtviə/ or /ˈlætviə/ ( listen ) ; Latvian : Latvija [ ˈlatvija ] , Livonian : Lețmō ) , officially known as the Republic of Latvia ( Latvian : Latvijas Republika , Livonian : Lețmō Vabāmō ) , is a country in the Baltic region of Northern Europe . Since its independence , Latvia has been referred to as one of the Baltic states . It is bordered by Estonia to the north , Lithuania to the south , Russia to the east , Belarus to the southeast , and shares a maritime border with Sweden to the west . Latvia has 1,957,200 inhabitants and a territory of 64,589 km2 ( 24,938 sq mi ) . The country has a temperate seasonal climate . The Baltic Sea moderates climate , although it has four distinct seasons and snowy winters . After centuries of Swedish , Polish and Russian rule , a rule mainly executed by the Baltic German aristocracy , the Republic of Latvia was established on 18 November 1918 when it broke away from the Russian Empire and declared independence in the aftermath of World War I . However , by the 1930s the country became increasingly autocratic after the coup in 1934 establishing an authoritarian regime under Kārlis Ulmanis . The country 's de facto independence was interrupted at the outset of World War II , beginning with Latvia 's forcible incorporation into the Soviet Union , followed by the invasion and occupation by Nazi Germany in 1941 , and the re-occupation by the Soviets in 1944 ( Courland Pocket in 1945 ) to form the Latvian SSR for the next 45 years . The peaceful Singing Revolution , starting in 1987 , called for Baltic emancipation from Soviet rule and condemning the Communist regime 's illegal takeover . It ended with the Declaration on the Restoration of Independence of the Republic of Latvia on 4 May 1990 and restoring de facto independence on 21 August 1991 . Latvia is a democratic sovereign state , parliamentary republic and a very highly developed country according to the United Nations Human Development Index .