Ethiopian Championships, Day Three

An outstanding display of front running and a stadium 10,000m record by Bezunesh Bekele were the highlights of the third day (5 May) at the 27th Ethiopian Athletics Championships in Addis Ababa (3 - 7 May 2006).
 
In the other major race of the day, Koreni Jelila upset Belaynesh Zemedkun for the women's 3000m title, while the Dibaba family running machine unveiled yet another product. 

Wami's record beaten
 
Bekele, second behind Werknesh Kidane in last year's corresponding race and sixth over the long race at the 2003 World Cross Country championships, hit the front with nine laps to go and never looked back clocking 32:32.90, twelve seconds ahead of Gete Wami's Addis Ababa stadium record time set five years ago.
 
The race devoid of the top echelon of Ethiopian distance running, got off to a slow start as the runners settled down to a comfortable rhythm set by 2004 World Cross short course bronze medallist Teyiba Erkesso.
 
Erkesso did her bit to unsettle the field and after the first five laps her pace started dropping off runners with each passing lap. By the eighth lap, the lead pack had dwindled down to five with Erkesso leading Bezunesh Bekele, Wude Ayalew (5th in the long race at the 2006 World Cross), Ahaza Kiros, and Genet Getaneh (two-time winner of the Toyota Great Ethiopian Run).
 
Two laps later, Getaneh became the first major casualty when she dropped off the pace, and Ayalew was also dropped mid-way in the race.
 
With eight laps to go, Bekele opened a 100m on the remaining two (Erkesso and Kiros), and increased this to an emphatic 350m margin by the time she crossed the finish. Kiros ran well to shake off Erkesso for second, with Getaneh finishing in fourth. 
 
Jelila wins 3000m

In the women's 3000m, Koreni Jelila won her first national title in an upset victory over Belaynesh Zemedkun, fifth in the junior race at the 2006 World Cross Country Championships. 
 
A tight leading group of runners stayed together from the half way point until the last lap. At the bell, Zemedkun made the first move to unsettle her three opponents but she was caught in the last 200m by Jelila, who took victory in 9:24.38.
 
But perhaps the biggest discovery from this race was the runner who finished in third place. Genzebe Dibaba, Tirunesh Dibaba's 16-year-old younger sister might have been humbled by more illustrious components today, but her comfortable running style and impressive result (considering that she was running with seniors) caught the eye.
 
In other highlights, Berhane Hirpassa remained on course for a unique 800m/1500m double after comfortably winning her semifinals. But also through is Mestawot Tadesse, who will be fighting Hirpassa in Saturday's final. 
 
Elshadai Negash for the IAAF
 

27th Ethiopian Athletics Championships - Day Three

200m
Atakilt Wubshet (Ethiopian Banks) 24.58
Mertnesh Tesfaye (Prisons) 24.89
Aynaddis Tessema (EEPCO) 25.24

3000m
Koreni Jelila (Defense) 9:24.38
Belaynesh Zemedkun (Ethiopian Banks) 9:25.37
Genzebe Dibaba (Muger Cement) 9:25.91

10,000m
Bezunesh Bekele (Ethiopian Banks) 32:32.90
Ahaza Kiros (EEPCO) 33:25.44
Teyiba Erkesso (Prisons) 33:31.57
 
Long Jump
Emebet Tilahun (Ethiopian Banks) 5.37m
Leteya Kedir (Ethiopian Banks) 5.34m
Netsanet Getu (Prisons) 5.19m

Shot Put
Roman Abera (Ethiopian Banks) 11.27m
Zewdenesh Beshah (Prisons) 10.74m
Selamawit Haylu (Ethiopian Banks) 10.45m

Men

200m
Wetere Gelelcha (Ethiopian Banks) 20.95
Abiyote Lencho (Ethiopian Banks) 21.24
Mohammed Mesbah (Prisons) 21.50

High Jump
Abula Ubang (Defense) 3.60m
Yared Assefa (Omedla) 3.20m
Seatu Tilahun (Omedla) 3.10m

Triple Jump
Galwak Garkot (Defense) 15.06m
Solomon Benti (Defense) 14.06m
Gezenew Mitiku (Omedla) 13.99m

Shot Put
Sisay Mekonnen (Prisons) 12.67m
Tsegaye Woldesenbet (Defense) 12.50m
Alemu Aramo (Defense) 12.19m
 
Hammer Throw
Sisay Mekonnen (Prisons) 29.35m
Bisrat Woldecherkos (Prisons) 27.50m
Wondwossen Mandefro (Prisons) 24.81m