Valencia, Spain - One of the main attractions of the “Ciudad de Valencia” International Indoor meeting in Palau Velódrom Lluis Puig on 14 February will be the women’s 3000m race between Ethiopian Meselech Melkamu and Kenyan Vivian Cheruiyot.

The “Ciudad de Valencia” International Indoor meeting is an IAAF Indoor Permit meeting.

Melkamu, born at 19 April 1985, was one of the two protagonists when the current World indoor record was established in Stuttgart, Germany on 3 February 2007, after an amazing duel with her fellow countrywoman Meseret Defar. Both fought for the victory in the final straight and finally Defar broke the world record with 8:23.72, while Melkamu was only two hundredths of a second behind her (8:23.74).

Last year Melkamu twice performed in the Palau Lluis Puig.  She first achieved a food victory at this meeting in a time of 8:29.48, and then some weeks later in the World Indoor Championships achieved the silver medal behind Defar. In her career Melkamu, the 2008 African 5000m track champion, has taken three bronze medals at the World Cross Country Championships and a the World junior title at 5000 metres. Her personal bests outdoors are 8:34.73 (3000m), 14:33.83 (5000m) and 31:04.93 (10,000m).

Cheruiyot, born at 9 November 1983, was the World 5000m silver medallist in Osaka and has a personal best at this distance of 14:22.51, third in the all-time list after Dibaba and Defar. At 3000 metres she has a personal best outdoors of 8:28.66 but has never yet run indoors. This winter Cheruiyot has already competed in Spain, in cross country, taking second place in the Zornotza International Cross Country in Amorebieta.

Also starting in Valencia will be Ethiopian Frethiwat Goshu, the 3000m bronze medallist at the last World Junior Championships.

Ignacio Mansilla for the IAAF