Kenenisa Bekele at the 2006 Millrose Games (© Kirby Lee)
Long distance running king Kenenisa Bekele of Ethiopia, has chosen the DN Galan – IAAF Super Grand Prix – on Tuesday 25 July for his first ever race at 1500 metres!
“We are very happy that Bekele wants to appease his curiosity at Stockholm Olympic Stadium,” says meeting director Rajne Söderberg. “His debut at the distance will be met with great interest worldwide.”
“The Ethiopians are usually prohibited from running at this time of year, but their presence is possible since there are no World Championships or Olympics.”
Bekele, the Olympic and two-time World 10,000m champion, who also hold the World records for 5000m and 10,000m, came closest to a 1500m debut when running the Mile indoors at the Millrose Games in New York on 6 February this year, taking second place in 4:01.57. However, away from the tight indoor curves of Madison Square Gardens, outdoors on a standard configuration 400m track his potential at 1500m must be a lot greater.
“I like the challenge of the shorter distances and this is my chance to see what I can do,” confirmed Bekele, the World Indoor 3000m champion and multiple World XC title winner. “My goal is to get faster and to earn a spot (at 5000m) on the African team to the World Cup in September (16 / 17 in Athens, Greece). That would be a great honour.”
At the DN Galan, he will face five of the year’s current seven fastest runners, among them the top-two, Kenyan Daniel Kipchirchir Komen (3:30.27), and Ivan Heshko of Ukraine (3:31.08).
In 2004, fellow countryman Mulugeta Wondimu set a new Ethiopian record with 3:32.38 in Stockholm in the B-final! Wondimu later ran 3:31.13 (31 July 2004 in Heusden). Is it a time within Bekele’s reach? The athlete himself won’t speculate, so Stockholm must ponder the question for a week or two longer! Well, to be precise until 25 July and the 2006 DN Galan, Sweden’s stop on the IAAF World Athletics Tour.
Keijo Liimatainen for the IAAF
