Posted: July 15, 2004

Athletics: Ethiopia Names Olympic Marathon Squad

From David Monti

(c) 2004 Race Results Weekly, all rights reserved RaceResultsWeekly.com

By Elshadai Negash

ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia (14-Jul) -- The Ethiopian Athletics Federation has announced its marathon team of eight runners that will compete in the 28th Athens Olympics.

Leading the country's challenge will be reigning Olympic champion Gezaghne Abera, who looks to have made a late charge in beating an Achilles Heel injury scare. Abera withdrew from his last two Marathons, the World Championships in Paris and the Flora London Marathon, due to a recurrence of his Achilles Heel injury, which would have required him surgery in order to fully recover.

But Abera has postponed plans to undergo the surgery and is now poised for his chance to win back-to-back Olympic titles, the first runner since his countryman achieved the feat in Rome 60 and Tokyo 64. He will again be amongst the favorites in Athens and will provide an eager challenge for the current world record holder at the distance Paul Tergat as he bids for his first Olympic Gold.

Next to Abera's call-up is the omission of the country's two veteran Marathon runners, Fatuma Roba (1996 Atlanta Games Champion) and Tesfaye Tola (the Sydney 2000 men's Bronze Medallist). Roba had looked on her way to another comeback after a long injury lay-off when she won the Nagano Marathon in April, but Ethiopia's decision to go for youth means that the 31-year old will not make her third Olympic appearance.

Tola has looked a shadow of the old self that won Bronze four years ago since claiming the epic medal which increased Ethiopia's overall tally to eight medals, the highest earned by an African country during the Games. He has struggled for both fitness and form.

In the absence of Tola, Ethiopia's challenge will be handled by the relatively unknown duo of Teferi Wedajo and Hailu Nigussie, while Anbesse Tolosa, winner of the Paris Marathon, named as a possible replacement.

In the women's Marathon, Ethiopia's challenge is expected to be lead by the other half of the "Ethiopian Posh and Becks" Elfnesh Alemu. Unlike Abera who was inactive for much of the last eighteen months, Alemu finished second in the Boston Marathon in May and hopes to build on her sixth place finish at the World Athletics Championships in Paris a year ago.

Apart from Alemu, Ethiopia will be pinning its hopes on 23-year old Asha Gigi, who finished second in the Paris Marathon this year. Werknesh Tola completes the Ethiopian lineup, while the diminutive Shitaye Gemechu named as a substitute.

Ethiopia's Olympic Marathon Squad for Athens

Men 
1.      Gezhagne Abera 
2.      Teferi Wedajo 
3.      Hailu Nigussie 
4.      Anbesse Tolossa (Replacement) 

Women
1.      Elfnesh Alemu 
2.      Werknesh Tola 
3.      Asha Gigi 
4.      Shetaye Gemechu (Replacement)