Bressanone, Italy — The Reporter — World Youth Steeplechase best holder Korahubish Itaa and junior runner Emebet Anteneh will lead Ethiopia’s strong team of fifteen athletes for the 6th IAAF World Youth Championships in Bressanone, Italy (8-12 July 2009).

Ita’a, who improved the World 3000m steeplechase youth best in Huleva, Spain last month, is the star of a large Ethiopian. In addition to her 9:29.52 performance in the Spanish city, Ita’a has enjoyed a much improved season since her fourth place finish in the World Juniors last year with a second place finish behind African champion Zemzem Ahmed in the Ethiopian national championships.

Her performance in Huelva also headed the national lists for the longer event until Sofia Assefa’s 9:19.91 second place finish in Oslo last Friday.

She will be joined in the girls’ 2000m steeplechase by Halima Hassen who has a personal best of 9:35.89 for the 3000m SC.

Ethiopia also boasts strong medal hopes in the girls’ 3000m, where Emebet Anteneh, seventh in the junior race at the 36th IAAF World Cross Country Championships in Amman, Jordan in March this year, is expected to be one of the top contenders. The 16-year old’s surprise third place at the national cross country trials behind established names likes Genzebe Dibaba and Sule Utura was the biggest surprise of the trials and earned her a first trip outside the country for competition.

Anteneh was surprisingly beaten to second place by Genet Yalew as the duo took the top two places at the East African Youth Championships held in Addis Ababa in April this year. Yalew, the Ethiopian 10,000m regional record holder and former champion, is also expected to be among the top contenders.

The top entrant in the boys’ team is steeplechaser Desta Alemu, who hopes to follow on from Legesse Lemiso, the first Ethiopian to win a global title over the steeplechase when he emerged victorious in Ostrava two years ago. (Elshadai Negash for the IAAF)

Ethiopian Team
Boys
800m: Fekadu Dejene
1500m: Girma Bekele, Zebene Alemayehu
2000m SC: Desta Alemu, Berhanu Sheferaw
3000m: Fekru Feyisa

Girls
800m: Tizita Bogale, Tenaye Lemi
1500m: Gete Dima, Merima Mohammed
2000m SC: Korahubish Itaa, Halima Hassen
3000m: Genet Yalew, Emebet Anteneh