Meserat Defar after win at the 2004 Ethiopian Championships (© Negash)
A victory in the women's 10,000m for Derartu Tulu, an easy 5000m win and Ethiopian 'soil' record for Kenenisa Bekele, and a triumph for Meseret Defar were the highlights of the final day at the 24th Ethiopian track and field Championships, today.
Tulu, the two-time Olympic 10,000m champion give strong indications of her return to form by out-sprinting her cousin Ejiageyhou Dibaba, World Cross Country silver medallist, in the final 150m of today's 10,000m.
With the scorching sun and the wind playing their part in preventing a faster time at 2400m altitude, the runners chose to dictate a slower pace.
With five laps remaining only three runners - Tulu, E.Dibaba, and the Ethiopian 8km Cross Country bronze medallist Bezunesh Bekele remained in contention. The likes of former World 5000m Bronze medallist Ayelech Worku and World Cross Country Championships 4km silver medallist Teyiba Erkesso had by then dropped back. The diminutive B. Bekele kept up with her more illustrious compatriots, but as the duo upped the tempo and moved for the kill, she was also left behind with the bronze guaranteed.
It was E. Dibaba who tried a very early sprint, but Tulu kept up and closed the 10 metre gap that had opened up at the bell. For the next 250m the duo ran neck-to-neck, but with the finish in sight, it was the experience of Tulu that prevailed against the youthful exuberance of E. Dibaba. The 32 year-old taking the win in 33:02.46 with Bezunesh Bekele making a name for herself coming in for bronze 10 seconds later.
"I am happy that I followed her [E. Dibaba] all the way," she said. "The win today will give me confidence for this summer, but I cannot say fully that I am back to my best. I know I have to work harder."
Tulu will now head to Athens next week for a 9km road race.
"Mr. Invincible" does it again
In his first race after winning a third World Cross Country double in Brussels March, Kenenisa Bekele made it look very easy by winning the men's 5000m race in a time of 13:34.03, smashing the Addis Ababa stadium - Ethiopian 'soil' record set by Sileshi Sihine in last year's championships.
The pre-race publicity had built the final into a two-horse race with Sihine expected to defend the title and record he won last year by beating Bekele. However, Sihine's withdrew from the race at the last minute citing exhaustion after his 10,000m win and record on Tuesday.
As expected, the race began slowly, but by the end of the fourth lap, the starting field of 20 runners had withered down to four with Bekele, Mulugeta Wondimu, Markos Genetti, and Abiyot Abate at the top.
Two laps later, however, the pack had furthered resized to just two runners with Bekele and Wondimu fighting it out neck-to-neck and opening a 30m gap with Genetti in third.
Wondimu, who finished fifth in the men's junior race at the World Cross in Brussels, gave Bekele a stiff competition as the duo came in at the bell.
But Bekele left the youngster trailing in his wake, and with 200m to go, Bekele's lead had increased to 50 metres and he comfortably ran to the line to take the title in 13:34.03, bettering Sihine's previous record by one-and-a-half seconds.
Genetti finished third and the crowd ruptured as Tariku Bekele, brother of Kenenisa and already the World Youth 3000m silver medallist, crossed the line in fourth, a very impressive result for a 16-year old given that Meba Tadesse (World junior cross country champion), Abiyote Abate (ninth in the world 5000m in Paris last summer), and Maeregu Zewde (Bronze medallist in the 4km in Brussels) finished behind him.
"I knew that he was going to push my like that because I had seen how he prepared," said the winner. "He (Wondimu) is promising runner and has a hope for the future."
The World 10,000m champion added that he was happy with his performance and was confident that he would have managed a better time if he had put in his full energy. "The weather prevented me from giving 100%. With this performance, I could have managed 12.50 in a lower altitude place."
Next stop Hengelo
Bekele who is currently the Overall IAAF World Rankings leader will next run in Hengelo on 31 May - IAAF Grand Prix - where he says that a world record attempt in the 5000m, a mark currently held by four-time World and two-time Olympic 10000m champion, Haile Gebreselassie is in mind.
"My manager Jos [Jos Hermens] and the organizers have arranged for me to try and break the World record in Hengelo," he says. "If the pacemakers and the weather are OK, I believe that I can try to achieve that."
The World 5000m Indoor record holder is also scheduled to run at the IAAF Grand Prix Meeting in Ostrava, Czech Republic as well as one other 5000m race before he joins his Ethiopian countrymen at a training camp on the outskirts of Addis Ababa in July in preparations for the Olympics.
Defar bounces back
In a day of high drama, World 3000m Indoor champion Meseret Defar beat Sintayehu Ejigu in an exciting sprint finish to take the women's 3000m title in a time of 9:16.76 with Mestawot Tufa coming in third place.
After withdrawing in the middle of the 5000m race on Tuesday due to stomach problems, Defar was looking for a return to winning ways. The 21-year old made her intentions public early on in the second lap taking the lead in a group that contained Ejigu, Tufa, Derebe Alemu, and Eyerusalem Kuma.
Kuma and Alemu could not keep up with the pace as the leading pack diminished to three with two laps remaining. At the bell, it was Tufa's turn to be victimized by the burning pace leaving front two to fight it out for the title.
As the duo approached the 200m mark, the lead interchanged between the two. When they came up to the home straight, Ejigu tried to sprint past Defar and opening a small gap of 5mm, but Defar quickly moved in front of her. As the crowd stood up from their seats, Defar proved to have that little bit of extra energy to cross the line just a second ahead of her rival with Tufa coming in third.
Defar admitted after the race that she was pushed all the way, but pointed out that she was not all that happy with her form today.
"It is good that I won, but I was not happy with my form today," she commented. "I believe that I could have run faster today. I was very weak this week after going down with diarrhea this week. I am feeling better after taking the treatment."
Burka surprises 1500m elite duo
But it was a disappointing championship for Ethiopia's other gold medallist at the 10th IAAF World Indoor Championships in Budapest, Hungary, as Kutre Dulecha suffered her second defeat of the championships, this time at 1500m.
The event had been built up into a tussle between Dulecha and 16-year old young sensation Meskerem Legesse, but it was the relatively unknown Gelete Burka, who stunned both runners by taking victory in 4:12.09.
Legesse could only manage third, while Dulecha had to be content with fourth. The silver medal on the day went to Mestawot Taddesse, winner of World Cross Country Championships bronze in Brussels, and a 800/1500 double a week two weeks ago at the Addis Ababa Municipal championships.
Elshadai Negash for the IAAF
Click here for first three days report from the Championships
24th Ethiopian Athletics Championships - Official Results
Results compiled and translated by Elshadai Negash
Day 4- Friday, May 7, 2004
Men's 20km Walk- Club
1. Ashenafi Mercho (Prisons) 1.35.18
2. Getachew Demissie (Defense) 1.38.14
3. Ayele Hitsan (Prisons) 1.39.17
Men's 20km Walk- Region
1. Degefe Debeko (SNNP) 1:35.23
2. Mesfin Shebeshi (Oromia) 1:46.30
3. Mihebo Minamo (SNNP) 1:50.51
Men's 400m- Club
1. Alemayehu Edebo (Banks) 47.22
2. Habtamu Abeje (Omedla) 47.50
3. Kefyalew Lemesa (Defense) 47.92
Women's 400m- Region
1. Chaltu Girma (Oromia) 56.80
2. Lishan Dela (Oromia) 56.82
3. Fayne Gudeta (Oromia) 59.40
Men's 400m- Region
1. Zemenu Kassa (Amhara) 48.22
2. Gulema Dida (Oromia) 48.30
3. Endale Ledamo (SNNP) 48.86
Women's 100m Hurdles- Region
1. Yodit Dejene (SNNP) 10.22
2. Shewanesh Mengistu (Oromia) 9.95
3. Yetnayet Belachew (Oromia) 9.80
Men's 110m Hurdles- Club
1. Ubang Abaya (Defense) 14.97
2. Getachew Alemu (Prisons) 15.30
3. Zelalem Aklilu (Prisons) 16.01
Men's 110m Hurdles- Region
1. Ubang Abaya (Defense) 14.97
2. Getachew Alemu (Prisons) 15.30
3. Zelalem Aklilu (Prisons) 16.01
Women's 5000m- Region
1. Te'ame Shumye (Tigrai) 35.34.31
2. Wude Ayalew (Amhara) 35.43.20
3. Fantaye Ama (SNNP) 36.08.75
Men's 1500m- Region
1. Kumsa Adugna (Oromia) 3.48.53
2. Kebede Daniel (SNNP) 3.48.87
3. Ashenafi Kiros (Tigrai) 3.49.30
Women's 4x100m Relay- Region
1. Oromia 43.22
2. Dire Dawa 44.27
3. SNNP 44.80
Women's 1500m Club
1. Gelete Burka (Prisons) 4.12.09
2. Mestawot Tadesse (Banks) 4.15.32
3. Meskerem Tadesse (Banks) 4.18.97
Day 5-Saturday, May 8, 2004
Women's 10,000m- Club
1. Derartu Tulu (Prisons) 33:02.46
2. Ejiageyhou Dibaba (Oromia Police) 33:03.13
3. Bizunesh Bekele (Banks) 33:13.69
Men's Javelin- Club
1. Diro Tola (Defense) 63.30
2. Anteneh Tameru (Defense) 61.56
3. Abdissa Tadesse (Defense) 60.94
Men's 200m- Club
1. Alemayehu Adebo (Banks) 21.24
2. Wetere Galcha (Banks) 21.29
3. Aman Usman (Defense) 21.40
Women's 400m- Club
1. Netsanet Getu (Prisons) 55.86
2. Lense Kumsa (Banks) 56.37
3. Abeba Megersa (Banks) 57.31
Women's 1500m- Region
1. Hiwot Teshome (SNNP) 4:27.22
2. Berhan Aregawi (Tigrai) 4:27.47
3. Makeda Harona (Oromia) 4:27.83
Women's 100m Hurdles- Club
1. Netsanet Bekele (Banks) 16.01
2. Aynalem Demissie (Prisons) 16.77
3. Abeba Megersa (Banks) 16.96
Men's 5000m- Club
1. Kenenisa Bekele (Muger Cement) 13:34.03
2. Mulugeta Wondimu (Defense) 13:46.75
3. Markos Genetti (Oromia Prisons) 13:58.75
Men's 3000m Steeplechase- Club
1. Tewodros Shiferaw (Omedla) 8:50.04
2. Abraham Kabeto (Banks) 8:54.54
3. Maru Daba (Prisons) 8:56.08
Men's 1500m- Club
1. Seifu Nebse (Banks) 3:43.62
2. Hailu Denku (Omedla) 3:44.09
3. Aman Abdo (Oromia Prisons) 3:44.52
Men's Triple Jump- Region
1. Zelalem Chendesa (Oromia) 13.05m
2. Milkias Gebre (SNNP) 13.03m
3. Mama Ed'a (Oromia) 12.96m
Men's High Jump- Club
1. Ujulo Ubang (Defense) 1.89m
2. Rahmeto Shahibo (SNNP) 1.80m
3. Ujulu Oto (Defense) 1.80m
Men's 5000m- Region
1. Ali Abdosh (Harari) 14:14.13
2. Beshir Kobe (Oromia) 14:18.16
3. Mitiku Alemu (Oromia) 14:18.94
Men's Hammer- Club
1. Sisay Mekonnen (Prisons) 25.11m
2. Wondwossen Mandefro (Prisons) 24.15m
3. Desta Wajira (Prisons) 23.17m
Women's 4x100m- Club
1. Banks 48.14
2. Prisons 48.86
3. EEPCO 50.26
Women's 3000m- Club
1. Meseret Defar (Banks) 9:16.76
2. Sintayehu Ejigu (Banks) 9:17.59
3. Mestawot Tufa (Omedla) 9:30.17
Men's 4x400m- Region
1. Defense
2. Banks
3. EEPCO
Men's 4x400m- Club
1. Banks
2. Defense
3. EEPCO
Unique Accomplishments
Triple Medallist(s)
Ubang Abaya (Defense)- gold in the 100m Hurdles, 400m Hurdles, and 4x400 relay
Alemayehu Adebo (Defense)- gold in the 200m, 400m, and 4x400m Relay
Chaltu Girma (Oromia)- gold in the 200m, 400m, and 4x400m Relay
Addis Ababa Stadium Record Breakers
Sileshi Sihine (Prisons)- 10000m Ethiopian record in a time of 28:16.23
Kenenisa Bekele (Muger Cement)- 5000m Ethiopian record in a time of 13:34.03
Overall team results
Clubs- Women
1. Banks
Regions- Women
1. Oromia
Clubs- Men
1. Defense
Regions- Men
1. Oromia
Ethiopian Club Overall Champions: Prisons
Ethiopian Regional Champions: Oromia
The most disciplined Club team of the championships: Omedla
The most disciplined Regional team of the championships: SNNP
