Showdown as local girls book date with Ethiopians

If you thought the 10,000 metres final last Saturday was a great duel between Kenya and Ethiopia, then wait for the women’s 5,000m final on Saturday. It will be a cracker!

Ethiopia, with their egos bruised by Linet Masai’s nonchalant race to the 10,000m gold last Saturday, have regrouped and vowed to gatecrash the Kenyan party on Saturday after yesterday’s first round at the Olympic stadium.

Of the 15 finalists, only six will be non-African, or make it five as Turkey’s qualifier, Alemitu Bekele, is a former Ethiopian.

There was another heartbreak, however, for Ethiopia after defending champion Tirunesh Dibaba failed to start due to a nagging leg injury.

Dibaba was also forced to withdraw from Saturday’s 10,000m final for the same reason and had hoped to recover in time for the 5,000m race.

Dibaba, whose husband Sileshi Sihine, the defending 10,000m silver medallist, is also jinxed by injury, won both the 5,000m and 10,000m gold at the last championships in Osaka in 2007.

Kenya’s trio of Vivian Cheruiyot, Sylvia Kibet and Iness Chenonge all broke no sweat in qualifying for Saturday’s final from Wednesday morning’s qualification rounds.

Masai beat the strong team of Africa 5,000m champion Meselech Melkamu and world 5,000m title holder Meseret Defar in the 10,000m final leaving memorable scenes of an inconsolably weeping Tewedros Hailu, Defar’s husband, lingering in the Ethiopians’ memories.

Make it to the top five

Defar and Melkamu have since, hopefully, wiped away the tears and were among the qualifiers on Wednesday with Defar (15.16.46) leading Kenya’s biggest hope Cheruiyot (15:16.59) and Chenonge (15:18.40) across the line in Heat Two.

Kibet (15:17.77) trailed another Ethiopian Sentayehu Ejigu (15:17.64) in the opening heat that saw Melkamu (15:18.39) qualify in third place.

“There was no need to push today,” said Cheruiyot after yesterday’s race. “I just wanted to make it to the top five and qualify. “The pushing will come in the final on Saturday and I’ll do my best to put an end to my misfortune of second places.”