Posted: May 27, 2005

Athletics: Bekele To Chase 10,000M WR In Hengelo On Sunday

From David Monti

© 2005 Race Results Weekly, all rights reserved RaceResultsWeekly.com

By Bob Ramsak

Kenenisa Bekele's assault on his own 10,000m world record is the key attraction of a star-studded line-up at the Thales Fanny Blankers-Koen Games in Hengelo, Netherlands on Sunday, an event signaling the unofficial start of the European track season.

Last year, Bekele set the first of two world records in this eastern Dutch city with this 12:35.37 clocking in the 5000 meters. Eight days later, he lowered the 10,000 record to 26:20.71 in Ostrava, Czech Republic. Sunday's will be the first race for the 22-year-old Ethiopian since he completed his unprecedented fourth consecutive double victory at the IAAF World Cross Country Championships. On paper, his stiffest challenge should come from the 19-year-old Ugandan, Boniface Kiprop, the world junior record holder in the event.

While no other world record attempts have been publicized, an array of compelling competition fills out the program. Sileshi Sihine, who captured the Olympic silver medal in the 10,000 last summer behind Bekele, heads the field in the 5000. Giving chase will be a trio of Kenyans who have sub-13 minute bests to their credit: Richard Limo, Mark Bett and 18-year-old Augustine Choge, who set a world junior record 7:28.78 for 3000 meters at the Doha, Qatar Super Grand Prix earlier this month.

The men's 3000, initially billed as a tussle between double Olympic champion Hicham El Guerrouj and Kenyan Eliud Kipchoge, was thwarted today when the Moroccan pulled out for "health reasons," according to an IAAF website report. The two are still scheduled to meet in a two-mile race at the Prefontaine Classic IAAF Grand Prix in Eugene, Ore., next weekend.

The steeplechase field includes Kenyans Brimin Kipruto and Paul Kipsiele Koech, the reigning Olympic silver and bronze medallists respectively. Kipruto, still just 19, is the defending champion.

In the women's races, Lornah Kiplagat will square off against Isabella Ochichi, the Olympic 5000 meter champion in that event, while the 1500 features Ethiopian teenager Gelete Burika, Alesia Turova and Carmen Douma-Hussar of Canada.