(IAAF) – Addis Ababa, Ethiopia- The Ethiopian Olympic Committee (EOC) today announced its strong squad of 36 athletes for the Olympics Games in Beijing, China.
Bekele and Dibaba to double
The pick of the announcements is the selection of Kenenisa Bekele and Tirunesh Dibaba to both the 5000m and 10000m squads. After weeks of speculation, distance running star Haile Gebrselassie’s place in the 10,000m has now been confirmed, while Gete Wami and Berhane Adere, veterans of previous Ethiopian Olympic teams, make a historic return after missing the 2004 edition.
A star-studded squad is hopeful of matching or surpassing the country’s best medal tally in the Olympic Games – eight medals (4 gold, 1 silver, and 3 bronze) – set in Sydney 2000.
Long Distance Men
The cream of the squad is perhaps concentrated in the men’s 10,000m where Kenenisa Bekele hopes to defend his 10,000m title in Beijing and will be accompanied by countrymen Sileshi Sihine and Haile Gebrselassie.
The ambition in naming the three stalwarts of Ethiopia’s major championship teams is to replicate a clean sweep of the podium places similar to the 2003 World championships in Paris.
Thanks to his unbeaten streak over the 10,000m that now runs more than ten races, Bekele is the overwhelming favourite in the 10,000m and baring no ill effects is scheduled to run in the 5000m where he hopes to improve on his silver medal from Athens four years ago.
Not for the first time in major championships, he will be challenged by Sileshi Sihine who now has a set of major championship silver medals (one in the Olympics and three in the world championships).
Gebrselassie injury doubt
Haile Gebrselassie hopes to complete a sensational return to the 10,000m in Beijing. The 35-year-old stunned many by running 26:50 in May over the 10,000m and claimed that he could have run faster under better weather conditions and better pace-making.
Gebrselassie had planned a 5000m in Milan this month to sharpen his speed ahead of Beijing, but pulled out due to an Achilles heel injury. Although he has resumed training, there is no official word yet if his latest injury scare could harm his chances in the Chinese capital.
In the men’s 5000m, the older Bekele will lead a strong team of young runners. Younger brother Tariku finally won senior gold this year when taking 3000m victory in the World Indoors. He will be joined by recently-minted World junior champion Abraham Cherkos and African bronze medallist Ali Abdosh.
Long distance Women
Double World 10,000m champion Tirunesh Dibaba is facing the same situation and equally-motivated challengers as she attempts an unprecedented double in Beijing following her 5000m bronze in Athens.
After a third World Cross country gold and a first African 10,000m title, Dibaba sliced four and half seconds off compatriot Meseret Defar’s World 5000m record in Oslo and is the favourite in both the 5000m and 10,000m in Beijing.
This year Defar has won a third successive World Indoor 3000m title but suffered her first 5000m defeat since September 2006 when going down to Meselech Melkamu at the African Championships.
But any meeting of the Duelling D’s is music to the ears of track fans. The pair will go head-to-head in the 5000m should Dibaba feel no after effects after the 10,000m.
In addition to Defar, Dibaba will have the improving Meselech Melkamu in the 5000m, while Belaynesh Fekadu is on stand-by should Dibaba fail to recover from the 10,000m.
Dibaba at 10,000m will be challenged by a reinvigorated Mestawet Tufa. The leader of the Ethiopian lists with 30:38.33 – no other Ethiopian has run sub 31:00 this year – Tufa is back to form after a spate of injuries in 2007 and along with Ejegayehou Dibaba, the reigning Olympics silver medallist, should give Tirunesh a tough race.
Marathon women
Ethiopia will pit two veterans and two newcomers here. 2000 Olympic Games 5000m bronze and 10,000m silver medallist Gete Wami returns over the marathon after missing the 2004 Games due to injury.
The 33-year-old has enjoyed an incredible marathon career since returning from maternity leave. She has run sub 2:25 on five occasions and won the inaugural world marathon majors as a reward for her consistency in major city marathons.
Fellow veteran Berhane Adere was controversially dropped from the 2004 team for disciplinary reasons. The 35-year-old has also enjoyed a successful, but inconsistent marathon career the heights being an Ethiopian record in the 2006 London Marathon and the lows a disappointing 2:42 on the same course last year. Despite taking part in the 1996 and 2000 Games, Adere, the 2003 World 10,000m champion has never medalled in the Olympics.
Recently-minted world one-hour record holder Dire Tune and Bezunesh Bekele (second in the Dubai Marathon) will fight out the remaining spot in the marathon team.
Marathon Men
Following Gebrselassie’s decision to skip the Beijing marathon and concentrate on the 10,000m, Ethiopia will look to two young runners who could be the surprise package of the summer in Beijing.
Both Tsegaye Kebede (2:06.40 winner of the 2008 Paris International Marathon) and Deriba Mergia (2:06.38 for 6th in the 2008 Flora London Marathon and 2:06.50 for 2nd in the Fukuoka Marathon) have never competed over the full marathon in Ethiopian colours. In fact, only Mergia (All-African Games half marathon gold medallist and fourth in the 2007 world half marathon championships) has any kind of major championship experience.
They will be joined in Beijing by either Gudisa Shentema or Gashaw Melese who will be fighting for the last automatic qualification slot.
Middle Distance – Men and Women
For all their dominance in long distance events, Ethiopia has never won an Olympic medal in an event shorter than the 3000m Steeplechase. But if Gelete Burka has the chance of changing matters.
Burka won the All-African Games 1500m gold in Algiers, but then chose to contest the 5000m at the World championships and paid the price for it with a disappointing eighth place finish. But this year, the 23-year old has transformed herself into a major contender at 1500m. She ended her barren streak in global championship track events with bronze at the World Indoor championships in Valencia, Spain and then took her first African 1500m title on home soil.
Burka will be joined in Beijing by Meskerem Assefa, who was second to Burka in Addis Ababa in May. Having just dipped under the IAAF Olympic A standard for the 1500m, Assefa will be delighted about making the Ethiopian team in only her second international competition year.
The Ethiopian men’s 1500m is an interesting mix of the old and new. Three of the four athletes making the final selections are set to make their debuts in Beijing. Among them, World Indoor champion Derese Mekonnen will feel he can run well against world class opposition.
After his breakthrough in 2007, Mekonnen surprised many by beating Daniel Kipchirchir Komen on the way to World Indoor gold in Valencia. In the outdoor season, he has lowered his PB by a massive four seconds to 3:32.99.
Seasoned campaigner Mulugeta Wondimu, ninth in Athens 2004, makes a dramatic return to the Olympics following three inconsistent seasons where he competed over a range of events from the 1500m to the marathon.
And selectors will wait until the last moment to select between Osaka semi-finalist Mekonnen Gebremedhin and World junior bronze medallist Demma Daba.
Elshadai Negash for the IAAF
Ethiopia’s squad for Beijing 2008
MEN
1500m: Derese Mekonnen, Mulugeta Wondimu, Mekonnen Gebremedhin, Demma Daba
3000m Steeplechase: Nahom Mesfin, Roba Gari, Yacob Jarso
5000m: Kenenisa Bekele, Tariku Bekele, Abraham Cherkos, Ali Abdosh
10,000m: Kenenisa Bekele, Sileshi Sihine, Haile Gebrselassie, Ibrahim Jeylan
Marathon: Tsegaye Kebede, Deriba Mergia, Gudisa Shentema, Gashaw Melese
WOMEN
1500m: Gelete Burka, Meskerem Assefa
3000m Steeplechase: Zemzem Ahmed, Mekdes Bekele, Sofia Assefa
5000m: Tirunesh Dibaba, Meseret Defar, Meselech Melkamu, Belaynesh Fekadu
10,000m: Mestawet Tufa, Tirunesh Dibaba, Ejegayehou Dibaba, Wude Ayalew
Marathon: Gete Wami, Berhane Adere, Bezunesh Bekele, Dire Tune