After his record-equalling fourth straight world 10,000m title on Monday, Ethiopia’s Kenenisa Bekele is done with partying and will line up in the 5,000m metres on Thursday in his bid to complete another distance running double.The Ethiopian superstar, a six-times world cross country champion, declared he is the greatest after beating his Eritrean nemesis, world half marathon champion Zersenay Tadese and Kenya’s Moses Masai to win the 10,000m gold in convincing fashion.
But the 27-year-old was unsure if he would venture into the shorter distance but after he was done with the celebrations, on Wednesday he confirmed he will be in the field for today’s 5,000m qualifiers.
Been dominant
It is an interesting statistic that Ehiopia has never won the 5,000m world title. It is even more fascinating that Bekele will be up against Kenya’s Eliud Kipchoge, the man who beat him to the title in Paris in 2003 where Morocco’s great Hicham El Guerrouj settled for silver.
The other Kenyans in action here are Joseph Ebuya and Vincent Chepkok, the Kenya Armed Forces cross country champion. The Ethiopian legion will also have upcoming Mohammed Ali Abdosh, Bekena Dana and the doubling Imane Merga who fell outside the medals in the 10,000m.
So dominant has Bekele – who married Ethiopian actress and model Danawit Gebregziabher in 2007 - been in this race that he has gone for 12 races unbeaten since losing to Bernard Lagat over the distance in London on July 28, 2006.
But the dark horse could very well be Chepkok, who shocked the field by winning the race at last month’s trials in Nairobi. The 5,000m heats will be run from 7.55pm Kenyan time tonight.
Also on Thursday, the Kenyan quartet of world champion Alfred Kirwa Yego, Africa champion David Rudisha and Jackson Kivuva will line up in the 800m heats’ opening round from 12.45 pm, Kenyan time.
The trio have gone through their training here without incident and should all qualify for the semi-finals scheduled for 9.30pm on Friday.
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