Posted: July 29, 2004

Athletics: Gebrselassie: "I'm Still Quite Good."

From David Monti

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

by Bob Ramsak

LONDON -- While it might be twilight time in Haile Gebrselassie's legendary track career, the personable Ethiopian insists on looking towards the future.

"Tomorrow will be my last track meet in Britain," the two-time defending Olympic 10,000 meter champion said, who will contest the 5000 at Friday's Norwich Union Super Grand Prix in London's Crystal Palace. "I feel so bad when I say that kind of announcement. But don't worry," he added, sporting his wide, trademark grin, "I'll be back in London for the London Marathon."

But before he shifts his complete attention to the roads, Gebrselassie has one final track appearance on his schedule: the men's 10,000 meter Olympic Final on Friday, August 20 in Athens.

There are two main differences, Gebrselassie said, between this Olympic year and the previous two in which he emerged victorious.

"When preparing for Atlanta and Sydney, I wasn't that concerned about speed training. But this time, I'm trying to concentrate more on speed. And regaining speed was difficult. Especially after going to the marathon. But it is coming back." Laughing he added, "Of course, it's not the same speed I had five or six years ago."

A bigger difference is that this year, he's not even considered a favorite. At last year's World Championships, Gebrselassie was second to fellow-countryman Kenenisa Bekele. This season, his heir apparent succeeded him as world record holder in the 5000 and 10,000, and is widely regarded as the man to beat.

"No, it will not be easy," he said, "But everyone who comes to Olympics wants to win. If I would think that Bekele will win, why would I come?"

As for losing his records, Gebrselassie, who has produced an astounding 18 global standards himself, said, "No one's happy when [world records] are gone, but this is nothing new for me. The difference now is that it is very difficult to prepare [for record attempts] in the 5 and 10. If I can break world records in the half-marathon and marathon and I lose them, it's not as difficult, at this point, to try and break them again. In the 5 and 10, it's a different story." Ever the diplomat, he added, "But the good thing is that they still belong to Ethiopia."

Gebrselassie said the primary aim in Athens will be to duplicate Ethiopia's dominating podium sweep from last year's World Championships. The cast of characters - Gebrselassie, Bekele and bronze medallist Sileshi Sihine-will be the same.

"When it's a championship, our first priority is just for the country. Then comes the individual." But he wouldn't entertain questions about what sort of tactics the trio may engage, saying only that their strategy will be devised upon arrival in Athens. "Saying that, and you writing it would be dangerous to us!"

The trio train together in Ethiopia, a relationship Gebrselassie describes as a "struggle" at times.

"When it's a speed program," he said with a laugh, "you know I'm struggling. In endurance work, for me, it's no so hard. Both of them are very strong. You see, I'm struggling against other athletes, and against age. But," he quickly adds with yet another hearty laugh, "I'm still quite good."

Perhaps ironically, he said that his training partners are actually providing him with the incentive to continue in a sport in which no major titles or honors have escaped him.

"If they were not there, I might have stopped by now," he said. "Those athletes --Kenenisa Bekele and Sileshi Sihine-- they started running because of Haile Gebrselassie. Now, I'm continuing because those athletes are coming up. They started because of me, and I keep running because of them. I was an example to them, now they are an example to me."

As for his post-Athens plans, manager Jos Hermens indicated his full-time road career might begin with a marathon as early as this fall. "He wants to run a fast time, so we're looking at either Chicago or Amsterdam."

In the meantime, Gebrselassie said a win in tomorrow's Crystal Palace race would be important, but above all, he considers the race his final test before Athens.

"This one is to test my speed, my preparation," he said, adding that he's been in non-stop training mode since his 10,000 meter race in Hengelo, Netherlands, in late May, his only outdoor race of the year.

Hermens said that his appearance in London was a struggle of a different sort.

"It was a big fight with the [Ethiopian] federation just for Haile to come here," he said, explaining the governing body's strict policy that bans competition so close to the Olympic Games. "But he had to come here. He hasn't raced in two months, and he needed another one to test where he is."

An expected sell-out Crystal Palace crowd will be pleased that an exception was made.