Posted: February 18, 2005

Athletics: Birmingham - Dibaba Out Of 3000, While Bekele Expects A 'Good Race'

From David Monti

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

By Alberto Zorzi

Birmingham, GBR (18-Feb) -- Tirunesh Dibaba, the favorite for tonight's 3000 meter clash at the Norwich Union Grand Prix, was forced out of the race with the flu, while Kenenisa Bekele is only hoping for a "good race" in the two-mile event.

With five world records set at the last six editions of Norwich Union Gran Prix, this year's strong line-up was looking to add that that impressive tally. Despite Dibaba's withdrawal, Berhan Adere's 8:29.15 from 2002 is still under threat. 5000 meter Olympic champion Meseret Defar came tantalizingly close in last month's Reebok Boston Indoor Games, clocking 8:30.05 after being impeded by two lapped runners in the last bend. Behind her, Briton Jo Pavey aims to challenge the European record of 8:33.62 -- then a WR -- by Elly van Hulst while winning the World title in Budapest in 1989. Last week Pavey easily won the national title in Sheffield with 8:50.28, 15 seconds ahead of the runner-up.

When he was announced for the meeting at the end of December, Kenenisa Bekele said he would chase Haile Gebrselassie's world best in the two mile race. However, that was before the tragic death of his fiancee Alem Techale, who collapsed while training with him on January 4. Now, reigning 10,000m World and Olympic champion has lesser expectations.

"I don't expect anything, just a good race," Bekele said yesterday. "Consider also that two miles is probably a little short for me."

The sadness is still very present in his eyes. He speaks softly, perhaps out of shyness or his uncertain English. Tonight will reveal if the "real" Bekele will return to the track at the National Indoor Arena. The "unreal" one was defeated by Alistair Cragg int he 3000 meters at Reebok Boston Indoor Games late last month after he miscounted laps. "I was running behind two guys and I didn't see the officials," he said. In Boston he clocked 7:41.42. Here, Martin Keino and Bekele's younger brother Tariku will be the pacers.

Bekele said he's still not certain which event he'll contest as he prepares to defend his triple-double World Cross Country Championship titles. ""I have not decided yet". This winter Bekele has run just one cross country, in Venta de Baños, ESP on December 19, where he won convincingly.

Here, Bekele's main rival, with two-time 3000 meter world indoor silver medalist Paul Bitok far form his best shape, will probably be fellow-countryman Markos Geneti, third in the Boston race in 7:42.97, but faster last week where he finished behind Cragg at the Powered by Tyson Invitational in Fayetteville, clocking 7:40.72.

Providing the distance highlight of the Fayetteville meeting was Bernard Lagat, who clocked the third fastest ever indoor mile in history --3:49.89.

"I feel very good but I don't have a specific time in my head," said Lagat, who will contest the 1500 here. "This is my fourth and last race of the indoor campaign, then I will come back home for training," he added. Apart from Fayetteville, he had already raced miles in New York Millrose Games, which he won in 3:52.87, and in Boston, where he was defeated by Laban Rotich.