Chris Turner
12 February 2001 - Morocco’s Hicham El Guerrouj the World 1500m record holder - indoors and outdoors - is the latest top star to join the line up for the Norwich Union Indoor Grand Prix at the National Indoor Arena in Birmingham next Sunday 18th February.
El Guerrouj will run the Two Miles against a field which already comprises Ethiopia’s Olympic 5,000 metres champion Million Wolde, Kenya’s world outdoor 2 mile best performer Daniel Komen and Hailu Mekkonen (Ethiopia) who set new world indoor marks at this distance in Birmingham last year.
The race will not only be El Guerrouj’s first ever outing at 2 miles but will also be the Moroccan’s first track appearance since he suffered a shock defeat at the hands of Kenya’s Noah Ngeny in the Sydney Olympic 1500m final last year.
Ngeny will also be in Birmingham but will run the 1500 metres. The Kenyan is one of a host of Olympic champions who will be on show on the night including Anier Garcia (110m hurs), Jonathan Edwards (triple jump), Million Wolde (5,000m), Maria Mutola (800m), Gabriela Szabo (5,000m) and Heike Drechsler (long jump).
