Bekele on way to World 10,000m record in Brussels (© Getty Images)
Brussels, BelgiumThe multiple World record breaker and reigning World and Olympic 10,000m champion Kenenisa Bekele is a marked man, and he knows it.
It is the price of fame which the 2004/ 2005 World Athlete of the Year acknowledged means that, while running a season’s long campaign in search of a share of the IAAF Golden League Jackpot, he makes himself vulnerable to anyone who by contrast is focusing just on beating him in a single race.
Bekele, is on a mission at tomorrow’s Memorial Van Damme, IAAF Golden League meeting, to remain in the hunt for the $500,000 portion of the season long jackpot which will be divided between any athlete winning five times in the league. Having finished second in the opening race of the series on 2 June in Oslo to Kenyan Isaac Songok (12:58.22 to 12:55.79), the 24-year-old Ethiopian lost out on his chance to share an additional $500,000 (for six wins), and after subsequent victories in Paris, Rome and Zurich, he must still win at the last two meetings in Brussels and Berlin to take anything away from this season.
Kenenisa has brought his brother Tariku to Brussels, who last week won the World Junior 5000m title in Beijing, China, to act as a pace maker should he decide that he is in the form to challenge the World record (12:37.35 – 2004) but all such thoughts are secondary to his Jackpot quest.
“Maybe my dream (to set a World record) might come true but this season has been very busy,” noted Kenenisa Bekele. “I have concentrated on the Jackpot (since there are no global titles to win in 2006) but this race (Brussels) will give me the possibility of a record too.”
If the brothers do set out to beat Kenenisa’s personal best then, “60 seconds per lap to 60.5 per lap,” will be the agreed pace confirmed Tariku, who stated he was a little bit tired after his win in China and the long flight back to Europe on Monday. Spaniard Robert Garcia has also been lined up to provide extra pacing assistance.
But Kenenisa is conscious of the danger of pursuing a record when the primary aim of the night is victory.
“If I am confident that I will win tomorrow I will try my best for this opportunity (the record) but it is a very dangerous tactic,” the World record holder confirmed.
“Everybody is watching my race in the 5000m, as I broke the 10,000m World record here last year…. At the start of the year (track season in Oslo) my performances were not that great. After the cross country season I lost a bit of training because I spent time organising my sister’s wedding but my shape is now good.”
“I risk a lot because I am running every week of the summer (in pursuit of the Jackpot), and it is possible for some runners who put all their energies into beating me in any one race can do so. They do not have to think of a season long series of races, and the need to keep their strength for the next race.”
Pointing out the difficulty facing him, Bekele then mentioned that if he was to accomplish his goals for 2006 of the Golden League Jackpot (Brussels and Berlin remaining), and wins in both the World Athletics Final (Stuttgart) and World Cup (Athens), he still has to run four more 5000m races in the last month of this season, and he has already run six at the distance this summer!
“In such a short time this is very difficult.”
“But I am still confident in my training and performance despite my losses (in Oslo and London). I am happy. It’s good for the spectators if sometimes I get beaten it adds to the interest that I don’t always win,” confirmed a relaxed Bekele.
Chris Turner for the IAAF