Tariku Bekele of Ethiopia winning his 3000m heat (© Getty Images)
Tariku Bekele, younger brother of Ethiopia’s Olympic and World 10,000m champion Kenenisa Bekele, will lead the Ethiopian squad announced today by the Ethiopian Athletics Federation (EAF) to compete in the 11th IAAF World Junior Championships in Beijing, China (August 15-20).
Tariku, who is racing in his final major championship as a junior, is the most experienced member of the squad after winning bronze over the 5000m in Grosseto, Italy two years ago. The younger Bekele also won bronze in the junior race at the 34th IAAF World Cross Country Championships in Fukuoka, Japan in April this year as well as finishing 6th in the 3000m race at the 11th IAAF Indoor Championships in Moscow, Russia.
Cherkose is a talent to watch
While the focus of the squad remains no other than Tariku Bekele, all eyes will once again be on 18-year old Abraham Cherkose, a runner touted by many as a “prolific long distance runner in the making.”
Cherkose was in inspirational form this time around last year when he sprinted past his challengers to win the 3000m title at the 4th IAAF World Youth Championships in Marrakech, Morocco and has since made magnificent strides in his fledgling career including a win in the Carlsbad 5000 road in the US as well as a significant sub 13 minute performance for fourth place in the 5000m race at the Bislett Games IAAF Golden League meeting in Oslo, Norway.
The rest of the men’s team includes Ibrahim Jeylan and Tadesse Tola, first and third placers in the Ethiopian Championships 10,000m race. Jeylan has enjoyed an outstanding start to his international track season including a win over the 10,000m at the FBK-Thales IAAF Grand Prix meeting in Hengelo, Netherlands as well as wins in Belgrade and Bilbao.
Ayanu and Zemedkun highlight women’s challenge
Werkitu Ayanu had been one of the favourites going in the junior women’s race in Fukuoka last April, but returned with nothing to show for her progress finishing sixth in a disappointing showing by the Ethiopian junior cross country champion.
However, Ayanu has since bounced back with a well-deserved victory in the Addis Ababa Municipal Championships and then a second place finish behind Olympic 5000m champion Meseret Defar, but ahead of Olympic 10,000m silver medallist Ejegayehou Dibaba over the 5000m at the Ethiopian Championships.
Her form in the international circuit has also been encouraging with a sub 15 minute performance in Defar’s 5000m World record run in New York being the highlight of her progress.
She will be joined in the 5000m in Beijing by another newcomer in Wude Ayalew. Ayalew surprised many by finishing fifth in the long race in Fukuoka and added a national 10km record in Freiburg, although the mark was later improved by Berhane Adere in the Great Manchester Run.
In the women’s 3000m, Belaynesh Zemedkun, fifth in the junior race in Fukuoka, hopes to push for medals and will be challenged by Koreni Jelila, a runner who shocked Zemedkun in the Ethiopian championships. Jelila will take a sterling domestic reputation to Beijing that includes a win in the 2005 Confidence Women’s 5km Run in Addis Ababa and second place in the same competition this year.
Elshadai Negash for the IAAF
Ethiopian squad for Beijing
Men
100m Wetere Gelelcha;
400m Habtamu Fekadu;
800m Mekonnen Gebremedhin;
1500m Yehualashet Tadesse;
3000m steeplechase Nahom Mesfin and Eskyas Sisay;
5000m Tariku Bekele and Abraham Cherkose;
10000m Ibrahim Jeylan and Tadesse Tola
Women
800m Gezashign Hunduma;
1500m Mahlet Melese and Emebet Eta’a;
3000m Belaynesh Zemedkun and Koreni Jelila;
3000m steeplechase Mekdes Bekele and Ehete Bezabeh;
5000m Werkitu Ayanu and Wude Ayalew
Team Leader: Samson Baye
Head Coach: Alebachew Alemu
