PA Sport – Craig Mottram is expecting another rough ride when he faces Tariku Bekele over 5000 metres at the IAAF World Athletics Tour meeting in Melbourne on February 21.
The Commonwealth silver medalist has fought some exciting battles with his rival – the younger brother of Kenenisa Bekele – in the past.
Tariku Bekele, the world junior 5000m champion, will also compete against fellow Ethiopian Abreham Cherkos Feleke, who finished third when the trio clashed last year in Europe.
Mottram emerged the victor on that occasion at the Golden Spike meeting in Ostrava, but Bekele and Feleke have the credentials to cause an upset in Melbourne.
Mottram admitted: “I’ve had some good battles against Bekele and I’m looking forward to racing against him again.
“I’m really pleased that he’ll be coming to Melbourne as it gives me yet another opportunity to race against world class opposition in front of a Melbourne crowd.
“It’s always a challenge racing against the Ethiopians anywhere in the world but being in Melbourne, where I’ve had so much support in the past, just brings an extra edge to the competition for me and hopefully for the fans.
“I’d love to see Olympic Park packed out for the Ethiopians and we get another night similar to what we had in Melbourne at the Commonwealth Games when I ran against the Kenyans two years ago.”