Tergat
”maintains his cool” before his latest re-match with Gebrselassie
Omulo
Okoth for IAAF
9 April - Cross Country legend, turned marathon runner Paul Tergat of Kenya, is
heading to London on Wednesday in preparation for Sunday’s marathon race in the
British capital, which will pit him against his former rival on the track, Haile
Gebrselassie of Ethiopia. But rather than engage in a shadow boxing contest with
the Ethiopian, the four time World and double Olympic 10,000 metres champion,
Tergat is maintaining his cool.
"Marathon is not like a boxing contest which is preceded by pontification,
bragging and
sabre-rattling at
press conferences,"
Tergat said.
Tergat who made his marathon debut in London last year and finished second
(2:08:15), and then ran his second marathon race in Chicago in October where he
was again second (2:08:56), was realistic about his prospects in London this
year.
"The London Marathon course is tough, challenging and uncompromising. I won't be
dragged into making predictions. All I can say is that I am fit and ready for
the race" said Tergat who finished third (59:46) behind Gebrselassie’s national
record run (59.40) at the recent Lisbon Half marathon.
Ethiopia's national coach Tolosa Kotu has predicted that his three athletes
Gebrselassie, New York Marathon champion Tesfaye Jifar, and Olympics bronze
medalist Tesfaye Tola, will sweep the top three positions in the London
Marathon, but in response Tergat says he was ready for the challenge.
"I know the Ethiopians are there in large numbers which is good for team-work
purposes” commented Tergat. ”I would have preferred if more Kenyans were there,
too. But I am ready for the race. I will take it very seriously,"
The 32-year-old Kenya Air Force sergeant, who won all the World cross country
titles between 1995 and 1999, also had some food for thought for the Kenyan
cross country team that took part in the World Cross Dublin, Ireland, last
month. First and foremost, he said the team had over trained in Embu and were
exhausted by the time they reached Dublin.
"I watched the 12-km race and the athletes were struggling. Their legs had no
power. They needed time to recuperate after the heavy training," he said. "I am
happy they retained the overall team title for the 17th successive year but they
were technically ill-prepared for the task," he said.
Also while paying tribute to Kenenisa Bekele, the Ethiopian winner of 4-km and
12-km in Dublin for running well, Tergat disagreed with the sentiments of some
Kenyan coaches that Bekele was too good and may dominate the event in future.
"That is a defeatist attitude. You shouldn't let a guy win two titles like that
in 24 hours. We are still the dominant cross country nation and our coaches
should inject young talent and prepare them technically, physically and
mentally.”
