Defar aims at fastest ever 5km in Carlsbad

Ethiopia's Olympic women's 5000m champion Meseret Defar will hope to continue her outstanding season when she attempts to run the fastest ever time for 5km on the road at the 2006 Carlsbad 5000, California, USA on Sunday (9 April).

The 23-year-old, who successfully defended her World Indoor 3000m title in Moscow in March, is the African record holder for the outdoor 5000m and will hope to find her luck after making two unsuccessful attempts at the World Indoor 3000m record this winter in Boston, USA and Stuttgart, Germany.

"I have trained very well after Moscow and I hope to try and break the world's fastest time in Carlsbad," said Defar. "I am not motivated by my two previous record failures this year. I have trained well and will try my best to beat the 5km best there."

Defar has run three consecutive times in Carlsbad from 2002 to 2004, placing eleventh, sixth, and third in the three editions respectively, but hopes to show the kind of form that saw her set a relay leg best at the 2004 Chiba Ekiden Marathon relay in Japan.

The World Championship 5000m silver medallist is joined for close company in Carlsbad by Kenya's Isabella Ochichi, Britain's Jo Pavey, and Australia's Benita Johnson.

Ochichi is the reigning Olympic 5000m silver medallist and beat Britain's Paula Radcliffe at the Crescent City 10km race last year. The Kenyan also won the Carlsbad race in 2004.

Pavey is the Commonwealth Games 5000m silver medallist, while Johnson finished fourth in both the long and short races at the World Cross Country Championships in Fukuoka, Japan, last weekend.

Ethiopia's Sentayehu Ejigu, ninth in the Olympics 5000m final and fourth over the 3000m at the World Indoor Championships in Moscow, will also hope to spoil Defar's party in California.

Defending champion Tirunesh Dibaba misses the race as she is still recovering from the illness that forced her to pull out of the short race in Fukuoka, Japan, last weekend.

Three-time winner, Sammy Kipketer leads a stellar line-up in the men's race, but defending champion Dejene Berhanu will not return to defend his crown as he shifts his attention to the Marathon in Rotterdam, the Netherlands which is run on the same day.

Kenya's 2005 World Cross silver medallist Abraham Chebii is Kipketer's main challenger, while the Ethiopian duo of Maeregu Zewde (2004 World Cross bronze medallist) and Ibrahim Jeylan (Ethiopian junior cross champion) will also be in the fight.

Elshadai Negash for the IAAF