Posted: January 28, 2005

Athletics: Adere Targets World 5000 Mark In Stuttgart On Saturday

From David Monti

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

By Bob Ramsak

(STUTTGART, GER) -- Berhane Adere's attempt on her own world record in the 3000 meters and quality fields in the middle distances highlight the 19th Sparkassen Cup in Stuttgart on Saturday.

The 31-year-old Ethiopian set her current mark of 8:29.15 on this same track two years ago, and followed up that appearance last year with a world indoor record in the 5000 when she shattered Gabriela Szabo's previous mark by more than eight seconds with her 14:39.29 performance. Adere last raced at the Giro Podistico di Pettinengo in mid-October where she finished second to compatriot Etalemahu Kidane. In her last race on the track, she defeated Edith Masai and Olympic silver medallist Isabella Ochichi in the 5000 at the ISTAF Golden League meeting in Berlin. A week earlier, her appearance at the Van Damme Memorial in Brussels was abruptly halted, reportedly by the Ethiopian federation, after she was widely quoted criticizing her national selectors for keeping her from the Olympic squad.

Britain's Jo Pavey, Krisztina Papp of Hungary, Ethiopian Teyba Erkesso and German Sabrina Mockenhaupt are expected to provide Adere with the strongest challenge.

Olympic 800 meter champion Yuriy Borzakovskiy leads a strong men's 800 field that includes Athens silver medallist Mbulaeni Mulaudzi of South Africa, Commonwealth Games silver medallist Joseph Mutua of Kenya, and Bahraini Youssef Saad Kamel. Kamel, the former Kenyan Gregory Konchellah and the son of former World Champion Billy, was the second fastest two-lapper in 2004. French 1500 meter record holder Mehdi Baala will race in the 800 as well in his first appearance since injury kept him from advancing from the heats in Athens.

Olympic 10,000 meter silver medallist Sileshi Sihine headlines the 3000, where he'll face James Kwalia and Paul Bitok, Mushir Salim Jawher (formerly Leonard Mucheru), and teenaged 1500 Olympian and compatriot Mulugeta Wendimu. In his first international season last year, the 19-year-old displayed impressive range, clocking a national record 3:31.13 in the 1500 and posting a 12:57.05 in the 5000.

Kenyans Timothy Kiptanui and Paul Korir, along with World Athletics Final winner Ivan Heshko of Ukraine lead the men's 1500 field while 800 meter specialist Michael Rotich of Kenya opted for the longer 1000 meter race, where he is the favorite.

Russians dominate the women's 800 and 1500 events. In the shorter race, Natalya Lavshuk and Natalya Tsyganova are the key entrants while Yekaterina Rozenberg, Iryna Lishchynska and Alesya Turova

The track at the Hanns-Martin-Schleyer-Halle is home to some of the fastest indoor performances ever, with three world records still standing: besides Adere's two efforts, Hicham El Guerrouj produced his 3:31.18 world record in the 1500 here in 1997. In 1998, Daniel Komen clocked 7:27.93 in the 3000, the fourth fastest performance ever; in 2000, Wilson Kipketer ran to a 2:15.25 world record in the 1000 meters, a record he lowered again two weeks later in Birmingham.

Look for complete exclusive coverage in Monday's Race Results Weekly.