Ejegayehu Dibaba (r) wins in Rome ahead of Werknesh Kidane (© Getty Images)
Baracaldo, SpainEthiopia’s Ejegayehu Dibaba set the second fastest time of the season for the women’s 10,000m when clocking 30:43.39 in the “Meeting Internacional Ciudad de Baracaldo” held yesterday (10 July). Only Britain’s Paula Radcliffe has been able to run faster this year with a 30:17.15 performance in Gateshead (27 June).
With splits of 15:12 and 15.31 for the two halves Dibaba, still 22, won from her compatriot and reigning 10,000m Olympic champion Derartu Tulu, who is exactly ten years her senior. Tulu, who also Olympic champion twelve years ago at the 1992 Barcelona Games was timed at 30:51.07, the third best time of 2004.
After an impressive 5000m win in Rome (14:37.99 - 2 July) over compatriots Werknesh Kidane, Meseret Defar and her own younger sister Tirunesh, the World 5000m champion, Ejegayehu has now lowered her 10,000 PB by nearly 18 seconds from the 31:01.07 time she set when finishing ninth at the last Worlds in Paris. She also holds a 14:32.74 PB at 5000 for third in Bergen last 11 June.
It’s still to be confirmed which event(s) Dibaba will contest at the Athens Olympics.
