Posted: August 28, 2007

Athletics (RRW): Dibaba Will Not Defend World 5000M Title

From David Monti © 2007 Race Results Weekly, all rights reserved RaceResultsWeekly.com OSAKA (28-Aug) -- Tirunesh Dibaba, who won both the 5000m and 10,000m titles at the last IAAF World Championshpis in Athletics in Helsinki, has decided that she won't defend her 5000m title after winning last Saturday night's 10,000m gold medal at Nagai Stadium here. In a statement sent by the media by the Ethiopian Athletics Federation, Dibaba said she was simply not recovered enough from her 25 lap race. "I waited to see myself in training," the statement read. "But after consultations with my coaches and reexamined my health, I have decided not to contest the race." This is a blow to fans who were looking forward to the clash between Dibaba and Meseret Defar, the only woman capable of beating her in next Saturday's final. Defar, the 5000m Olympic champion in 2004, finished second at the last world championships behind Dibaba and is now the overwhelming favorite to win the gold. The Ethiopian squad for the the women's 5000m will now consist of Defar, Meselech Melkamu and Gelete Burka, a formidible team. "I am confident that Meseret, Gelete, and Meselech will run very well," Dibaba added. "They are all very good runners." The first round of the women's 5000m takes place Wednesday night at 8:05 p.m. Subscribe to the Runner's Web Weekly Digest