Meselesh Melkamu of Ethiopia wins 5000m in Grosseto (© Getty Images)
19yearold Meselech Melkamu of Ethiopia became the first 2004 World Junior champion as she set a new Championships record of 15:21.52 to win the women’s 5000m here in Grosseto.
The 2004 World Junior Cross Country champion from Brussels, Melkamu came in the championships as the outstanding favourite for victory and after following Kenya’s Viola Jemutai Kiplagat’s pace for the first kilometre the young woman from Addis Ababa did prove she was the one in charge.
Together with her illustrious training partners Derartu Tulu, Gete Wami and the Dibaba sisters, Melkamu is a regular protagonist of the IAAF one-day meetings. Recently she competed in Bergen Golden League 5000m race which saw Elvan Abeylegesse of Turkey set a new World record and Tirunesh Dibaba improve on her own World junior record. In Norway, Melkamu finished 13th.
It is not surprising then to see her almost emotionless as she claimed her first track world title.
“I am happy,” she said through the assistance of Ethiopia’s team leader. “I was confident. I knew I was capable of winning this race.”
Under the guidance of Dr. Woldemeskel Kostre, the man behind the great achievements of Haile Gebrselassie and Kenenisa Bekele, Melkamu is a multi talented runner able to win on all surfaces.
“I enjoy running cross country races as much as track races. Until March I concentrated on the cross and after my title I just switched to track training.”
Diminutive and shy, Melkamu is one of six brothers and sisters and the only one of her siblings who followed on the footsteps of their father, an average long distance runner who inspired Melkamu to take up the sport.
Based in Addis Ababa, Melkamu trains everyday with a group of 8 to 10 women athletes. A High School student, she still has another three years to go before graduating and most probably concentrating exclusively on running.
Melkamu was the third Ethiopian to clinch the women’s World Junior 5000m title after the event was introduced in the programme of the Championships in 1996. Melkamu succeeds compatriot Meseret Defar who won the 3000m-5000m double in Kingston two years ago.
Like Defar, Melkamu plans to win two gold medals here in Grosseto and the grin with which she nods when asked if she believes she is capable of winning the 3000m next Saturday is very explicit.
“I want two gold medals from Grosseto!”
Like most of Ethiopia’s young runners, Melkamu admits seeing Haile Gebrselassie as his role model. Arguably the best long distance runner of all-time, Gebrselassie started is superb career with a double World Junior win at the 1992 edition of the Championships in Seoul. Twelve years ago, Gebrselassie won the 5000m and 10,000m finals and today in Grosseto, Melkamu has already achieved the first half of her World junior campaign.
In second, Catherine Chikwakwa made history as she became the first ever representative of Malawi to clinch a medal in a global championships. Chikwakwa set a national junior record of 15:36.22 and declared:
“I came here knowing that Malawi had never won a medal in World athletics so I am thrilled. I hope this makes everyone at home very happy.”
