News27 Feb 2004


Adere, Defar, and Dulecha lead Ethiopian squad for Budapest - Gebrselassie is injured

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Meseret Defar sprints home in the women's 3000m (© Getty Images)

In a last minute change to the squad that the Ethiopian Athletics Federation had announced would take part in the 10th IAAF World Indoor Championships in Athletics, Budapest, Hungary (5 - 7 March), Haile Gebrselassie, the double Olympic 10,000m champion has withdrawn injured. 

Gebrselassie who would have been defending his World Indoor 3000m title in Budapest will be replaced by Abiyote Abate, with Markos Geneti, who beat Gebrselassie over Two Miles in Birmingham last Friday (20 Feb) leading the Ethiopian 3000m line-up.

Genetti, 19, who was the 2001 World Youth 3000m champion  aims to bounce back from a disappointing 2003 where he failed to make the Ethiopian squad for the World Championships in Paris.

Adere looks to return to early season form

In the women's 3000m, World 10,000m champion Berhane Adere will be hoping to defend her World 3000m title, and regain some of the form which saw her slice eight seconds off the World indoor 5000m record early this winter.

Her compatriot Meseret Defar, the 2003 World Indoor bronze medallist has shown impressive form indoors this season and as well as her 5000m victory in the Adidas Boston Indoor Games, beat Adere (into fourth) over 3000m last Friday. 

Kutre Dulecha has also been named in the squad at 1500m, as she continues her comeback after an 18-month long maternity leave. Dulecha failed to make it to the final of the 1500m in Paris, but her Area indoor record of 4:01.91 attained in Karlsruhe, Germany is the leading time in the world this winter. She is joined by Mestawet Tadesse.

Meskerem Legesse, Ethiopia's youngest ever participant at the World Championships when she made her 1500m outing in Paris at the age of 16, again makes the squad but this time lines up in the 800m.

Ethiopian outdoor champion Berhanu Alemu lines up in the men's 800m and although he narrowly missed the final in Paris, the 22-year old is an outsider for a medal in what looks like an open contest.

Ethiopian Squad for the 10th IAAF World Indoor Championships in Athletics, Budapest, Hungary (5 - 7 March)

Men

800m
Berhanu Alemu

3000m
Markos Geneti
Abiyote Abate

Women

800m
Meskerem Legesse

1500m
Kutre Dulecha
Tadesse Mestawet

3000m
Berhane Adere (defending champion)
Meseret Defar  

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