Posted: July 7, 2006

Athletics: Bekele Seeking To Make Amends In Paris – Meeting Gaz De France Preview

From David Monti

© 2006 Race Results Weekly, all rights reserved RaceResultsWeekly.com

By Bob Ramsak

PARIS - Kenenisa Bekele’s attempt to bounce back from defeat in last month’s Golden League series opener along with loaded fields in the middle & long distance events are on tap when the six-meet series continues at the Stade de France Saturday night in French capital.

Bekele, the world record holder at 5,000 and 10,000 meters, had no reply when Isaac Songok unleashed a devastating kick at the ExxonMobil Bislett Games a month ago, and said that he’s utilized the time since to make amends.

“I lost my last race in Oslo, so I really want to improve,” Bekele said, adding that he’s primarily been working on his speed. “I’m in better shape than in Oslo. I didn’t prepare for that race as well.”

Last year in Paris, the young Ethiopian cruised to a 12:40.18 win, the fourth fastest performance ever, but still fell shy on a highly-publicized attempt on his own world record of 12:37.35 set in 2004. This year he’s not aiming for any world records, he said, and in Paris is hoping for a more “normal” pace.

“Not too fast, not too slow,” he said. [For more on Bekele, including an update on his planned debut in the 1500, please see my story for the IAAF at http://www.iaaf.org/GLE06/news/Kind=2/newsId=35238.html ]

With Songok saving his legs for upcoming Golden League races and opting here instead for the 1500, Bekele's main challengers look to be world champion Benjamin Limo of Kenya; Australian Craig Mottram, the Commonwealth Games runner-up; and Boniface Kiprop of Uganda, the Commonwealth 10,000 meter champion. Alan Webb’s manager Ray Flynn confirmed that the American will also contest the race.

Songok, who is also the world leader in the 3000 (7:28.98), will test his speed against a top notch field in the metric mile. Oslo Dream Mile winner Alex Kipchirchir, also the Commonwealth 800 meter champion, tops the bill, along with Bernard Lagat who will be making his first outing after his 1500/5000 double at the U.S. championships, world indoor champion Ivan Heshko from Ukraine, and French record holder Mehdi Baala.

The women’s 5000 features a pair of Ethiopians titans: double world champion Tirunesh Dibaba, winner of the GL contest in Oslo, and Meseret Defar, who lowered the world record to 14:24.53 in New York last month. In the women’s 1500, two-time world champion Tatyana Tomashova and her Russian compatriot, Yelena Soboleva, the world record holder indoors and this year’s fastest (3:56.74), are expected to be the chief protagonists. Russian Yuliya Chizhenko, who was second to Soboleva in Athens on Monday in 3:58.02, and Maryam Jamal of Bahrain, last year’s fastest, should be quick to challenge as well.

Rachid Ramzi of Bahrain, the world champion at 800 and 1500 meters of Bahrain will make his first 800 outing of the season after two early season wins in three races in the 1500/mile. The field also includes world indoor champion Wilfred Bungei, Dmitrijs Miklevics of Latvia and Youssef Saad Kamel, who each dipped under 1:44 last Monday in Athens.

Olympic champion Ezekiel Kemboi of Kenya and Tareq Mubarak Taher of Bahrain top the field in the men’s steeplechase.

A crowd of more than 70,000 is expected to be on hand at the Stade de France, traditionally one of the largest annual turnouts for a one-day athletics competition.

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