Posted: July 1, 2005

Athletics: Bekele Eying 5000M World Record In Paris

From David Monti

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

By Bob Ramsak

PARIS -- If conditions cooperate, Kenenisa Bekele said an attempt on his own world record in the 5000 meters is a real possibility at Friday’s Gaz de France Golden League meeting in Paris.

“It depends on the weather,” said Bekele, who set the current record of 12:37.35 last year. “If the conditions are ok, I will try. Yes,” he added, “I’m planning it.”

The Ethiopian, who celebrated his 23rd birthday just 18 days ago, said he’ll need a 7:35 pace for the initial 3000 meters, no easy chore. “That is a very fast, very difficult pace.” While Bekele shied away from making any absolute predictions, he did offer finally offer an assessment when pressed by journalists. “It’s too difficult to think of a time. Maybe 12:35 or 12:36 would be good,” he understated. “But it will be difficult.”

His start tomorrow night at the kick-off of the six meet Golden League series will be just his second outdoor track appearance of the season after he cruised to his fourth successive double victory at the IAAF World Cross Country Championships. Despite the sudden, tragic death of his fiancée last winter, a subsequent period of mourning, lost focus and minimal training, Bekele said his current fitness is similar to that of this time last year.

“I see no difference,” he said, adding that his training regimen has remained unchanged.

His first track race of the year, at the FBK Games in Hengelo, Netherlands in mid-May, provides ample evidence to support his claim. Battling formidable winds, Bekele produced the fourth fastest performance 10,000 meter performance ever, a 26:28.72 clocking.

Of his three World Records – which include his 26:20.31 in the 10,000 and his 12:49.60 for the indoor 5000—Bekele said his outdoor 5000 is the most difficult of the trio to crack. “It’s very hard, and it’s a very fast pace.” After a slight pause, he smiled and quickly added, “But the 10,000 is very difficult as well. 25 laps at a fast pace is difficult.”

After his Paris outing Friday night at the Stade de France, Bekele said he’s planning a very light racing load before his attempt to defend his 10,000 world crown in Helsinki. After a 3000 meter race in Lausanne, Switzerland on Tuesday, he may race just once more prior to the World Championships. “Then maybe just one more race. But something easy.”

Unlike his 2003 world championship and 2004 Olympic outings, he said that adding the 5000 to his repertoire in Helsinki seems unlikely at the moment, he said.

“At this time, no, I will not run both events. I will only run the 10,000. A double is too much for me. I’ve known that since the Olympics,” he said, where he finished runner-up to Hicham El Guerrouj. “With two hard races after the 10,000, it is too much. Running 20 kilometers, particularly if the pace is fast, is too much.”

Despite his growing list of achievements, modesty still remains Bekele’s overwhelming trait.

“It will be a difficult race,” he said, referring to the Paris startlist which includes sub-13 minute performers Gebre Gebremariam, Dejene Berhanu and Mulugeta Wondimu, all Ethiopians. “It’s the Golden League. It’s always tough. There are plenty of good competitors.”

More than 72,000 spectators are expected to fill the Stade de France, recently renamed the "Stade de France Paris 2012” as part of the French capital’s bid to host the 2012 Olympic Games. Held just five days before the International Olympic Committee will make it host selection for the Games, organizers have an evening-long extravaganza planned as the city and region’s final show of support for its Olympic bid. According to organizers, last year’s attendance of 63,851 was a record for paid attendance at a one-day athletics event.