Turin, ITALY – Ethiopian-born Alemitu Bekele caused a major shock by winning Turkey’s first ever European Indoor title and destroy Russian Anna Alminova’s hopes of winning a 1500m and 3000m on Sunday, March 22.
Alemitu controlled the race from the front for much of the 15-lap race before a searing burst of pace on the last lap secured a comprehensive win in a national record of 8:46.50.
Portugal’s Sara Moreira powered through in the home straight to earn a silver medal in a personal best of 8:48.18 swith Ireland’s Mary Cullen rewarded with the bronze – after taking up the pace four laps out – in 8:48.47.
Alminova, who won yesterday’s 1500m final and was competing in her fourth race in three days, simply had no answer over the final 400m and faded to a modest sixth place finish.
Few would have picked the previously unheralded Alemitu, 31, as a potential gold medallist before the competition yet she claimed victory like she belonged to the big stage.
The Ethiopian-born Turk, who transferred to her current country in 1998, failed to qualify from the 3000m heats at last year’s World Indoor Championships but hinted at her potential by finishing seventh in the Olympic 5000m final behind Tirunesh Dibaba in Beijing last year.
Italy’s Silvia Weissteiner took the field through the opening few laps before Alemitu hit the front just three-and-a-half laps into the race, closely tracked by the waif-like Alminova.
The Turk continued to set a healthy pace with Spain’s Nuria Fernandez charging through from her mid-pack position to second with more than seven laps to go, followed by Moreira, Cullen and Alminova.
Alemitu passed 2000m in 5:58.33 but with just over 800m to go it was Cullen who hit the front and gradually wound up the pace with a series of consistent 34-second laps.
With 400m remaining Cullen led a lead group of six, which included Alminova, Bekele, Fernandez, Moreira and Weissteiner and at the bell the half-dozen all had a chance of victory.
Yet within a few strides it was Alemitu who hit front and with a dramatic burst of acceleration and destroyed the rest of the field to stride out a decisive winner.
Behind, Moreira kicked past a fading Cullen down the home straight to earn silver from the Irishwoman.
Fernandez finished a frustrating fourth in 8.48.49 – but at least had the consolation of setting a personal best. Weissteiner in fifth set a season’s best of 8:50.17 with Alminova having to settle for sixth in 8:51.17 – a brutal four race schedule in three days proving too much.