Gebrselassie to double at 1500m and 3000m - it's official
4 March 1999 -Maebashi – Japan – Speaking at the official Press Conference earlier today, Ethiopian distance ace Haile Gebreselassie confirmed that he would go for an unprecedented 1500/3000m double in Maebashi. The Ethiopian, second on the all-time indoor 1500m list with 3:31.76, made his decision when he realised that, following timetable changes, the 3000m would be a straight final on Friday at 16:55. So Gebrselassie can run a 1500m heat on Saturday with the final on Sunday.
"I had been thinking about doing the double some time ago but with the original timetable it would have been impossible. But when I realised that the 3000m would be a straight final, I decided to go for the double. I think this will be a good thing to try. It won’t be easy. But it is no problem to race on three consecutive days – the only problem might be the result! Anyway, even if my rivals will be strong I am quite strong too."
In Stuttgart on February 7, Gebrselassie beat both Andrés Díaz (ESP) and Laban Rotich (KEN), who have gone on to clock the two fastest times of the year. Díaz beat Rotich in Stuttgart then finished behind the Kenyan at 2000m in Birmingham. Last week the two ran remarkably similar times in separate solo races. In Athens on February 24, Díaz broke Peter Elliott’s European indoor record with 3:33.32. The next day in Stockholm, Rotich won in 3:33.39.
