Tirunesh Dibaba and compatriots celebrate their domination of the women's 5000m final (© Getty Images)
Double World 5000m and one-time World 10,000m champion Tirunesh Dibaba will defend both her titles as the Ethiopian Athletics Federation (EAF) announced its strong squad of 32 athletes for the 11th IAAF World Championships in Osaka, Japan.
The squad includes star names like Kenenisa Bekele, Meseret Defar, and Meselech Melkamu and ten athletes who will make their World Championships debut in the Japanese coastal city.
5000m pits Defar Vs Dibaba
The pick of the selection will bring stars Tirunesh Dibaba and Meseret Defar as they race each other for first time since September 2006.
Tirunesh Dibaba qualifies as the defending champion and will come up against her compatriot Meseret Defar in a repeat of the epic Golden League showdowns of 2006. While Dibaba has focused mainly on training and limited competition, Defar has enjoyed a phenomenal season where she sliced nearly eight seconds off the World 5000m record in Oslo and took victory in the All-African Games 5000m final.
Her closest opponent on that occasion, Meselech Melkamu, will continue to knock the door on the top two with Gelete Burka also lying in the wings.
Ethiopian women took the first four places in the last World Championships and according to national team coach Tolosa Kotu, the objective is to repeat this performance.
“The athletes are performing well in training,” he said at the squad announcement press conference. “Hopefully, they can repeat the same result in Osaka.”
Bekele: only 10,000m
Ethiopian men have not won gold over the 10,000m only once since 1991 and that record should continue once again this year.
Back to defend his World title is Kenenisa Bekele as he chases a third successful World outdoor title that will put him within touching distance of Haile Gebrselassie’s record of four successive victories. As in previous years, Sileshi Sihine will again be expected to increase the team’s medal chances and provide competition for Kenenisa.
Gebregziabher Gebremariam, the 2005 national champion, returns after recording an impressive personal best time of 26:52.33, while Tadesse Tola, the 2007 national champion and All-African Games silver medallist, will again provide strong competition.
Younger brother Tariku goes for 5000m
The men’s 5000m is composed of two members of the squad that took gold and silver in the last World Junior Championships in Beijing, China in August 2006. Champion Tariku Bekele has come in leaps and bounds since his runaway victory in the Chinese capital and will compete in his second World Championships after finishing seventh two years ago in Helsinki.
Silver medallist Abraham Cherkose is regarded by many as the new protégée of Ethiopian distance running. The 18-year-old, who is legible to compete in the World Junior Championships in 2008, holds World Youth records over the 3000m and 5000m.
Joining the duo in the team is Bekana Daba, winner of the 5000m title at the All-Ethiopian Games in March. After an up-and-down season, Daba clinched his place in the team after beating strong opponents in Braaschart, Belgium in July.
Defending World silver medallist Sileshi Sihine has been named a reserve in case any of the above runners should pull out.
Dibaba leads strong 10,000m group
Ethiopia will also field four women runners in Osaka. Tirunesh Dibaba leads the way with a title defence, but the encouraging form of Mestawet Tufa should help ally any medal fears.
Tufa leads the world this year with an impressive 31:00.27, but even more impressive was her victory in the All-African Games where she handily beat Kenya’s Edith Masai. Defending World bronze medallist Ejegayehou Dibaba will hope to put an injury-plagued season behind her, while Ahaza Kiros has piped Teyiba Erkesso in the race for the last spot in the team.
Middle Distance
In the selection over the 1500m, three athletes have been picked by selectors of the EAF after fulfilling the IAAF qualification A standard time. A fourth athlete, Gelete Burka, has chosen to focus only on the 5000m despite running the fifth fastest time in the world in 2007.
Of the two men in the squad, Mekonnen Gebremedhin has previous major championship experience having been part of Ethiopian World Youth (2003) and Junior (2006) squads in the past. The 18-year-old has improved his personal twice in two weeks in July eventually to 3:36.04 in Heusden-Zolder, Belgium.
Derese Mekonnen will take with him to Osaka a commendable fourth place finish in the All-African Games 1500m final. Mestawet Tadesse is the only woman middle distance runner in the team.
Steeplechase success excites Ethiopians
Ethiopian runners have broken record ground this year with five runners (3 women and 2 men) achieving the IAAF qualification A standard for the first time.
The men’s squad is a unique balance between experience and form. National junior record holder Nahom Mesfin has major championship experience with fourth in the 2006 IAAF World Junior Championships and bronze in the All-African Games. Roba Gari came only two seconds off Eshetu Tura’s 27-year-old national record earlier this year as he improved his personal best from 8:31 (Addis Ababa stadium record) to 8:15.05 in Brazzaville, Congo in the space of only one month.
Of the three women in the squad, Netsanet Achamo, fourth in the African Championships last year in Mauritius, will be buoyed by her national record time of 9:28.03 earlier this year after winning the national championships in a 10:01 in May.
World junior bronze medallist Mekdes Bekele has competed well in the international circuit including a race with current World record holder Gulnara Samitova in Moscow, Russia. Zemzem Ahmed, an athlete running for the Ethiopian Banks club, will be happy with a place in the squad after securing her place with only ten days before selectors announced their final squad.
Guta fastest woman, but Tafa carries genuine medal hopes
Rather surprisingly, Ethiopian women have never won a World Championships Marathon medal. An interesting mix of a young crop and an experienced breed now aim to work to put an end to that statistic in Osaka.
The youth is provided primarily by Askale Tafa, Roba Guta, and Dire Tune. Tafa boasts an impressive 100% winning over the marathon since September 2006 winning marathons in Dubai and Paris. Guta is the fastest in the field with a personal best of 2:24.35, while Dire Tune is a recent winner of Houston Marathon in 2:26.52.
The experience in the team is provided by Shetaye Gemechu, a two-time Olympian, while Adanech Zekiros completes the line-up.
Melese is the leading name in the men’s marathon
The men’s squad is also a mix of youth and experience. Sydney Olympics bronze medallist Tesfaye Tola makes a surprising return this year to add experience to the team. Gashaw Melese is the fastest in the field with his second place finish in Paris. Regarded as one of Ethiopia’s most natural marathon runners, Gashaw is desperate to make amends after dropping out two years ago in Helsinki.
Thirteenth-placed Gudissa Shentema was Ethiopia’s highest finisher two years ago and makes a return. Ambesse Tolossa and Dejene Berhanu will run a world Championships Marathon for the first time.
No Gebrselassie, Wami, or Adere
The marathon squad will be missing three of the world’s top marathon runners.
According to EAF Technical Director Dube Jillo, the EAF has accepted national record holder Haile Gebrselassie’s application for exclusion from the team because the World 20000m, one-hour, and 20km record holder fears a recurrence of an asthma problem.
“We have accepted his kind request because he is a hero of Ethiopia and has competed with distinction for the last 20 years.”
The EAF has also accepted the exclusion requests of Gete Wami and Berhane Adere who had opted to try out for a place in the 10,000m team, but dropped out in their attempts in Valenswaard, Netherlands and Barakaldo, Spain due to injury.
“These athletes have run well for over fifteen years,” said Jillo. “There will be opportunities for them to compete for Ethiopia in the future.”
Elshadai Negash for the IAAF
Ethiopian squad for the 11th IAAF World Championships in Osaka 2007
MEN (16)
1500m: Derese Mekonnen, Mekonnen Gebremedhin
3000m SC: Roba Gari, Nahom Mesfin
5000m: Tariku Bekele, Abraham Cherkose, Bekana Daba, Sileshi Sihine
10,000m: Kenenisa Bekele, Sileshi Sihine, Gebregziabher Gebremariam, Tadesse Tola
Marathon: Gashaw Melese, Dejene Berhanu, Ambesse Tolosa, Gudissa Shentema, Tesfaye Tola
WOMEN (16)
1500m: Mestawet Tadesse
3000m SC: Netsanet Achamo, Mekdes Bekele, Zemzem Ahmed
5000m: Tirunesh Dibaba, Meseret Defar, Gelete Burka, Meselech Melkamu
10,000m: Tirunesh Dibaba, Mestawet Tufa, Ejegayehou Dibaba
Aheza Kiros
Marathon: Robe Guta, Askale Tafa, Dure Tune, Adanech Zekiros, Shetaye Gemechu
