Beijing 2008: False Start

The waiting is almost over and track and field competitions will finally begin at the Beijing Olympics in just few hours. We are already one week removed from the spectacular Opening Ceremony (what could London 2012 do to top that?!) but I still find myself going back to last Friday, not to relive the show, but because I can’t get over the absence of the world renowned Ethiopian athletes in the Parade of Nations.

Back on July 21, Voice of America’s Amharic Program aired an interview with Ato Takele Gebeyehu, the Ethiopian team leader for the Beijing Olympics. Ato Takele mentioned that he would be leaving for Beijing in two days (July 23) to make the “necessary preparation” for the anticipated arrival of the athletes. Ato Takele then is quoted by VOA to have stated that the entire Ethiopian delegation would arrive in Beijing by the end of Hamle (11th month on the Ethiopian Calendar). Well, the end of Hamle was August 6th, two days prior to the Opening Ceremony.

Things took a curious turn shortly thereafter when it was announced the Ethiopian team, following the lead of the Kenyan team, would postpone its departure for Beijing until close to competition time. Reason given: Beijing will be very hot and this could force athletes to take lots of water that could lead to undesired weight gain."

Two questions immediately come to mind: 1- did the coaches just figure out the weather conditions in Beijing, and at the same time forgot to relay this new found strategy to their team leader? 2- Since when do we alter our training strategy based on some off-the-cuff last minute decision made by Kenya? This is not exactly a move that would instill confidence in the Ethiopian coaches’ skills.

Few months ago there was mention of Ethiopian athletes setting up camp in South Korea for few weeks before the Olympics so that they can acclimate to the heat and humidity of Beijing. This has not happened and the team has instead camped at the Ghion Hotel in Addis Ababa with some training stint in Sodere and other warmer climate locals. However, it is very obvious now that there has apparently never been a long term and well thought out strategy put in place to prepare the athletes for Beijing. Otherwise we would never have seen this knee-jerk reaction by the Ethiopian coaches to Kenya’s decision.

The Ethiopian team appears to be at best disorganized and at worst completely distracted and in disarray. Haile Gebrselassie has recently stated that the team’s training method is outdated by 20-30 years. We have been seeing reports of fighting, with fists and guns, among fellow athletes. This is hardly what any athlete needs during a run up to the Olympics, even the highly talented ones in Ethiopia who somehow manage to find success, on talent alone, and despite lack of coherent leadership.

Going back to the Opening Ceremony, all the reports I have read, from journalists and athletes alike, state that it was simply an unforgettable experience. It is a shame the Ethiopian athletes were not able to celebrate, with thousands of fellow Olympians from around the world, the signature moment of the Olympics. Below is some excerpt and links from athletes who took part in the Opening Ceremony:

5:15 p.m. to 1:30 a.m.—that’s the amount of time that we were at the opening ceremonies. Do I second-guess the decision to go? NO WAY!…contrary to what most think, we do not get to see the show before the parade of nations. We were put in the upper deck of an arena, and it was so hot. We may have been the best dressed, but we also lost about three pounds from sweating. But everyone was in the same boat. It was a little sad that we did not get to see the show because of the rave reviews, but I have it recorded and that would not have replaced walking out into that stadium…The rest of the night was realizing that I fulfilled my dream. At times it almost brought tears to my eyes, and for some it did. I was seriously acting like a little kid in the candy store running all over the place trying to get as much video and pictures as I could. I wanted to be able to keep this experience with me forever… more from Matt Tegenkamp

When we walked into the stadium I couldn’t believe it! It was so amazing and the stadium is HUGE!!! I can’t imagine racing there! I can’t wait. We had the option to leave after we walked around the track for early out, or you had to stay for the whole ceremony. I decided to stay and for a little while I was regretting it. I have never been more uncomfortable or hot in my life!!! I probably lost 10 pounds from sweat. I was really beginning to wish I had left and then they ran the flame in. The lighting of the torch was worth all of the sweat and tiredness and smelly-ness! I was so emotional! It was one of the top few experiences of my life. I started crying so hard. It was beautiful, with the torch bearer running around the very top of the stadium and then lighting the torch. I cried and cried. And then the men’s soccer team all came and gave me hugs! They said it was cool to see someone get so emotional about how happy they were to be there. It was so amazing! … more from Kara Goucher

Whew, talk about an initiation to the Olympic Games. All of the athletes that marched were troopers. We stuck it out together, sweated our hearts out to see and experience that Olympic moment, the one that hits your soul, your heart, our dreams coming true, no matter how drenched we were in our own sweat, knowing we were tough and we have all been through rigorous workouts. And all of the sudden, Kobe Byant, Carlos Boozer and all the NBA guys and gals that are high profile athletes, over the course of a few hours, became human, and celebrated with us, as people, not as these enormous icons, because they were toughin' it out like the rest of us, wanting to experience that same Olympic moment. It was incredible…The moment happened for me, that Olympic moment, that realization, deep down that it's here, and the Games are about to begin... This moment happened as the Olympic torch was on its last stretch, before the runner was hoisted up to the ceiling... and made the final lap to the torch. That was the moment I balled!! With excitement, all of a sudden the sweaty mess we were swimming in wasn't there. I couldn't feel the aches in my feet, just the torch, the stadium, the cheers and tears… more from April Steiner

Good luck Team Ethiopia. May your talent take you far!

Ethiopian Beijing Schedule

Date	Women	Men
Fri Aug 15	10,000 Final 3,000 Heats	1,500 Heats
Sat Aug 16		3,000 Heats
Sun Aug 17	3,000 Final Marathon	1,500 Semi-Final 10,000 Final
Mon Aug 18		3,000 Final
Tue Aug 19	1,500 Heats 5,000 Heats	1,500 Final
Wed Aug 20		5,000 Heats
Thu Aug 21	1,500 Simi-Final
Fri Aug 22	5,000 Final
Sat Aug 23	1,500 Final	5,000 Final
Sun Aug 24		Marathon

Olympic Roundup

The Beijing games begine and among the notable flag carriers were Ethiopian running legend Miruts Yifter and South Africa's one-legged Paralympian Natalie du Toit who qualified for the Olympic 10-km swim.





The legend lives on. It seems like Abebe Bikila is in the news a lot this week. So we have this remembrance of the great Olympians of the past a United Arab Emirites paper.



Drugs chief admits Olympic fears . Seven Russian athletes were suspended for alleged doping offences. There is plenty more to come.

When you put the Olympics in the hands of a dictatorship, the results are predictable. Yet the Chinese government still found a way to surprise even its critics -- not so much by behaving oppressively but by doing so in a foolish and entirely unnecessary way says columnist E.J. Dionne.

In other news..

• Ethiopian Defar sparks up in nick of time - She is on the rise. I can't wait for the women's 5K final.


• Where Once He Was Lost, Now He Is Found - the story of the US torchbearer.


• African rivals to widen rift - great primer on the Ethiopian team from a Kenyan paper.


• Smog fears are all hot air - Fairfax Media hacks claim the smog is not bad.. hot, humid, but hardly a health hazard they say.


• Google's Olympic Extravaganza - look what google has for you..


• Kenyan, Ethiopian rivalry back again


• Interesting facts from Olympics

So we are off... and in a littel over two weeks it will all be over...

Beijing 2008: Flag Bearers

In about 8 hours from now, the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games will officially get underway with the much anticipated Opening Ceremony. This will surely be a spectacular show put on by the Chinese, to be capped by the exciting Parade of Nations (in Chinese “alphabetical” order, Ethiopia at #148) followed by the lighting of the cauldron.

As the Parade of Nations proceeds, thousands of the world’s finest athletes representing 205 countries will march in to the Beijing National Stadium dressed in their national costumes and proudly waving their nation’s flag. Every four years, I wait attentively for the entrance of the Ethiopian team and it is always a proud moment when the team enters and the TV commentators recount Ethiopia’s prominence in distance running and glories of past Olympics. It is truly a moment when Ethiopia is front and center on the world stage.

For the majority of the athletes, the Parade of Nations is the highlight of their Olympic participation as they have no chance of winning a medal. All athletes appear to genuinely enjoy the cheers they receive as they walk in behind their nation’s flag. Many are seen with cameras and camcorders capturing a moment of history.

Among the more than 10,000 athletes that will march in the Parade of Nations, a select group will have the honor of carrying their nation’s flag and leading their team mates as they enter the stadium. Being selected to be a flag bearer for one’s country is indeed a great honor for any athlete. The announcement of the person chosen for this duty is newsworthy in its own right as we have seen to be the case during the last couple of days for USA, Canada, Israel, China, and several other nations. In fact, a list of announced flag bearers for many nations is already available at this link.

The obvious question at this point is “Who will get the distinct honor to be Ethiopia’s flag bearer in Beijing tonight?” One of the high officials for the Chinese team stated the following as criteria to be chosen for the honor of carrying the nation’s flag:

Only those athletes with high sport caliber, good sport ethics and good public image could be chosen to carry the nation's flag

In Ethiopia’s case, such criteria would seem to point to none other than Haile Gebrselassie. But will he be given this duty and honor? Will he seek it?

In the 2000 Olympics in Sydney, Derartu Tulu graciously carried the Ethiopian flag during the Opening Ceremony. However, I was disappointed four years ago to see that an unknown person (not even sure if he was Ethiopian or an athlete) carried the Ethiopian flag in Athens. How about today in Beijing?

All but one of Ethiopian athletes selected for Beijing Olympics will be participating in track and field events, which will not start until one week later. The team has already announced that its arrival in Beijing will be delayed in order to avoid the extreme weather and maximize performance- a questionable and worrying strategy by itself, but a digression from the topic at hand. How will this delayed arrival impact Ethiopia’s presence in the Opening Ceremony? We shall see in short order.

One final comment on the topic of flag and Olympics: when thinking about these two subjects, particularly in the same context, one can not help but think of the jailed

Ethiopian superstar Teddy Afro, who sang passionately about Ethiopia’s Olympic athletes and the Ethiopian flag they proudly carried. Teddy’s hit song Anbessa and the accompanying video, which he produced in an overnight session after Ethiopia’s success at the Athens Olympics in 2004, is replete with references to the flag: entrusted with the flag, covenant with the flag, raising the flag, wearing the flag, holding the flag, and the luck of the flag.

Life is such in Ethiopia that Teddy Afro, who captured with his song the joy and pride of millions of Ethiopians four years ago, now sits in jail alone charged with homicide, which he denies committing. To many people including myself, Teddy’s jailing appears more of a political vendetta rather than a criminal trial. It will be fitting if the athletes in Beijing can find a way to show solidarity with Teddy as he surely did with them four years ago.

How lucky will our flag be today?
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UPDATE: Miruts Yifter was the Ethiopian flag bearer. Not to discount the legendary achievement of "Yifter the Shifter" but this was one of the most bone-headed move the Ethiopian Olympic Committee could make! When the whole world was watching, Ethiopia decided to be one of only three nations (out of 205) NOT to have the flag carried by a competing athlete. The other two nations: Djibouti and Marshall Islands!! Team Ethiopia stumbling out of the gate...
http://2008.sina.com.cn/en/news/2008-08-08/20246171.html

Olympic Roundup

On this day This day in Olympic history - August 7...



Two-time marathon winner Abebe Bikila is born in a village not far from the Ethiopian town of Mendida. Bikila was spotted by a Finnish athletics coach who had been hired by the Ethiopian government to train potential athletes.

Bikila slipped into the Ethiopian Olympic team at the last moment after another runner broke his ankle playing football. When Bikila arrived in Rome shoe sponsors adidas had only a few shoes left and Bikila was given a pair that did not fit him. He then decided a few hours before the race to run barefoot, as he had trained. Bikila stunned the field and won ahead of Moroccan Rhadi Ben Abdesselam, thereby becoming the first black African to win an Olympic gold medal. When he was asked why he had run barefoot, he said: 'I wanted the world to know that my country, Ethiopia, has always won with determination and heroism.'

He repeated his success four years later in Tokyo, but was prevented from a hat-trick of gold medals in Mexico in 1968 by an injury. Bikila, who only ran one marathon (Boston 1963) which he did not win, died in 1973 from injuries received in a car crash four years earlier.

Other interesting news...

Defar – ‘I am back to my best and ready for Beijing’
Coach sure of medal
Spider bite hardens resolve for Paula Radcliffe
The Wizard Behind Beijing’s Opening Night
Foreign Activists Manage to Pierce China's Broad Security Apparatus

Beijing Smog News

As the hours tick down to the showpiece Olympic opening ceremony, chances this heavy smog will lift today appear slim. Beijing skies worsen despite pollution victory claims . Beijing smog will 'cut athletes' performances by 20%' - levels of harmful pollutants in the air could also leave competitors vulnerable to respiratory illnesses. Chinese smog is a different animal than your average smog, it's filled with lead, other heavy metals, dioxins, and all of the "dangerous" things.

The four United States cyclists who wore pollution-cutting masks as they arrived at the airport here this week apologized to Olympic organizers Wednesday, insisting that they wore the masks for health reasons and did not mean to insult the host country. It's hard to blame these guys for what they did.

Olympic Roundup

In Beijing, "one world" but dreams for many - mentions the ups and downs of Kenenisa Bekele since Athens.

Haile’s successor - Praise for Kenenisa from the publishers of THE HINDU.

Athlete managers warned to keep distance - Jos Hermens says "They (EAF) sent me an email saying 'we have always had good cooperation and thanks for everything you do for the Ethiopian athletes but lately there has been tension within the team.' It was a request to keep a low profile."

'Rome 1960': An Olympic Turning Point - Best-selling author David Maraniss makes a case in his latest book's title: Rome 1960: The Olympics that Changed the World. Some interesting stuff in Chapter 2.. "It had been twenty-five years since the Fascist legions of Benito Mussolini had invaded Ethiopia, devastating the civilian population with bombing raids and poison gas. In 1936 Il Duce's troops occupied a mountain village in Debre Birhan, forcing out Wudinesh Beneberu and her family, including her four-year-old son, Abebe Bikila. "

Instant Olympic classics - one of my favorite Olympics moments..Ethiopia's Derartu Tulu became the first black African woman to earn an Olympic medal.

Pavey spurred on by Osaka pain and desire to emulate Holmes - The British 10,000m athlete Jo Pavey is determined to put her world championships disappointment behind her by overcoming the dominant Ethiopians to win her first Olympic medal.

China Seeks to Top Medal Count at 2008 Olympics
During the 2000 Olympics in Sydney, the Chinese team won only one gold medal from the 119 available in what it considers to be basic events: swimming, track and field, and water events such as canoe and sailing. China's State General Sports Bureau then instituted its so-called "Project 119" with the aim of significantly increasing top finishes in those events. I smell cheating.

Sudan-born runner to carry US flag One of the lost boys of Sudan will be carry the US flag on opening day.

• Olympics: China revokes visa of US Olympic medallist and activist


• 100,000 security forces on alert for Olympics


• Olympics clean-up hides the real Beijing


• 4 Tibet activists detained after unfurling banner
  
• At Olympics, Amateurs and Pros Co-Exist Uneasily


• YouTube To Broadcast Beijing Olympics, But Not In US

Don't forget to add your news links in the comment area...

Successful Juniors

The 12th IAAF World Junior Championships concluded today at BYDGOSZCZ, Poland (Can I buy a vowel please?!) and the Ethiopian Junior Team finished in what has to be considered a very successful fifth place. The team took home 2 Gold, 3 Silver, and 5 Bronze medals. What is even more impressive is that 10 of the 23 athletes who participated left decorated with a medal.

Highlights of the Ethiopian team success include taking both the men and women 5000M title, as well as winning medals in non-traditional events such as the 1500M and 3000M. Ethiopian athletes also participated in shorter races such as 400M and 800M gaining valuable experience for the future.

It is not a stretch to say that Ethiopia is well positioned to continue its dominance in the longer distance races in future championships, but also has good crop of athletes coming up through the ranks to successfuly compete at the shorter distances of 800M and 1500M. Well deserved kudos for the Ethiopian Athletic Federation for investing time and money to develop athletes for the shorter distance races.

Congratulations Team Ethiopia!!

Cherkos is Champ!

For the past two years (since running a 12:54 5000M as a 16 yr old), it has been clear that Abreham Cherkos has talent that would match any of Ethiopia's greatest distance runners but he has not been able to produce consistent results. At the Osaka World Championships last year, he finished a disappointing 8th, almost a minute off his personal best. One could only guess that his training method was not correct or consistent.

Last month in Berlin, Cherkos ran a 12:57 5000M showing his potential once again and indicating he might be on track to peak at the perfect time for the Beijing Olympics. Today, on the final day of the World Junior Championships, Cherkos (still a junior at 18!) took the 5000M title in a record-breaking fashion, and thus improving Ethiopia's hope for the Olympic 5000M title which otherwise has looked dim for sometime now. Below is the race summary from IAAF.

Abreham Cherkos of Ethiopia obliterated the 5000m Championship record and the USA enjoyed more relay joy as the curtain came down on the 12th IAAF World Junior Championships in Bydgoszcz, Poland in front of more than 12,000 spectators in the Zawisza Stadium.

A heavy shower made life difficult for the competitors in the early part of the final session but the rain had abated by the time the 16 finalists set out on their 12-and-a-half-lap test in the men’s 5000m.

Cherkos makes it look easy

Ethiopia have generally had to play second fiddle to their arch distance running rivals for much of the championships but ended the final day on a high as Cherkos, the World junior leader, hacked almost 20 seconds from the Championship record to win gold in 13:08.58...more

Meet Sule Utura

18-year-old Sule Utura joined the likes of Ayelech Worku, Meseret Defar and Meselech Melkamu as the fourth Ethiopian ever to win a World Junior gold medal in the women’s 5000m tonight in Bydgoszcz.

The event has only been contested for women since 1996 and only three times has the gold medal gone outside Ethiopia.

For Utura, it was the first international title after her 3000m World youth bronze in Ostrava last year and a fourth place finish at the 2007 World Cross Country Championships in Mombasa.

In second, World Cross Country junior champion Genzebe Dibaba made it a one-two double ...more

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Utura brilliance

Ethiopia’s Sule Utura confirmed her potential as one of the most exciting young distance talents in the world when winning the first track title of these championships.

Even coming from a country that is a conveyor belt of running phenomenon, the 18-year-old was beginning to stand out when she finished fourth in the junior race at last year’s IAAF World Cross Country Championships.

Here, she used a last kilometre of 2:48 to beat the youngest of the three running Dibaba sisters, Genzebe, into second place.

Utura’s winning time of 16:15.59 was more than a minute outside her PB set in Oslo earlier this year, but with finishing speed like hers, she could afford to take it easy over the first three and a half kilometres.

She, Dibaba and Kenya’s Nelly Chebet and Lucia Kamene Muangi were to the fore for much of the opening very slow seven laps. The kilometres were passed in 3:28.46, 6:58.25 and 10:19.65 before Chebet injected a dramatic burst with just less than four laps to go. It left the non-Africans in the race chasing as the two Kenyans and two Ethiopians went away.

Ethiopia held the edge over their neighbours in this four-way battle, but Chebet and Muangi were still within striking distance at the bell.

However, it was Utura who added gold to the bronze she won in the 3000m at last year’s World Youth Championships.

She said: “I was happy with the slow pace early in the race. I had confidence in my finishing speed. I knew one of us – me or Genzebe – would win. It did not matter which of us finished first. This is the biggest success of my career.”

The name Dibaba once again appears on a championship medal, but this time it will not belong to Tirunesh, the world 5000m record-holder, or Ejegayehu. Genzebe, who won the world junior cross-country title in March, was less than a second adrift with 16:16.75, with Chebet third in 16:17.96.

The silver medallist explained she had benefited from some considerable advice. “I live with my sisters Tirunesh and Ejegayehu and they help me a lot with their advice," she said.

Tirunesh Dibaba breaks 5,000 metre record

Tirunesh Dibaba had the pleasure of smashing her rival's world record. The improvement was a stunning 5.5 seconds. With Beijing just two months away, this is an amazing performance bodes well. She could double!

The 5,000 is Meseret's event. In fact, she was to attempt to break her own record this Sunday at the Prefontaine Classic but now the record belongs to her rival. Motivation should not be a issue this Sunday. It should be fun to watch.

Down Memory Lane

Election season being in full swing and being such a following (not a leader) , I visit blogs, one or two times a day to see if Clinton has found anything besides the kitchen sink to throw at Obama. So I was surprised to see a photo of Deratu Tulu and Elena Meyer on one of the leading blogs. This primary season has gone on too long so even the blogs are throwing in distractions. Politics all the time is boring I suppose. The blogger DHinMI of DailyKos, shared the 1992 Olympic moment as one of her all time favorite sports moments.

This took me down memory lane. I happened to miss that moment it on TV. I did not phantom that an Ethiopian woman would be running that night. It took me a month to find a recording of the event. I had tears running as I watched the finish on tape a month later. Tears still well up when I recall that moment , actually in my case the moment of tape viewing. It was a hard time. Ethiopia’s future was uncertain. It was the time when our new neighbors up north treated us as colony with the complicity of his Excellency. It was the time when his Excellency called the flag a piece of cloth and Ethiopia a phantom. We desperately wanted to believe Ethiopia existed and that Ethiopia would survive this assault. We sooooooo needed a win, it did not have to be in sports, any kind of win would do. We needed to see that our flag was real and meant something and that we were after all still a country.

As if destined, out of nowhere, a teenage heroine, totally oblivious to what she was doing fulfilled our desperate needs. Derartu give us a huge shot of confidence at the right time. What she did that night would turn her into legend.

So let me ask the same question. What are your greatest sports memories?

Out of hibernation

After a rough winter, I am coming out of hibernation. If you have lived in the Upper-Midwest you know already that the first warm days don’t really come till early April. This is the first time this year the weather has been such that one can go out for a long outdoor run on the weekend. You can be sure I will enjoy it.

While I was hibernating a lot has gone on over the winter. In March, saying that Beijing’s pollution was a huge problem, Haile who has asthma, said he would not compete in the Marathon. Haile did leave open the possibility that he would run in the 10,000. Dube Jillo, Ethiopian Athletics Federation Technical Director, a throwback to the old days and old ways of handling athletes retorted that "It is not up to Haile Gebrselassie to decide on participation in the marathon event in Beijing."

While I am not entirely pleased that Haile is not running in the Olympics I am not disappointed. While I don’t want to dismiss his health concerns, I suspect he thinks that he would perform poorly in hot conditions and is looking for a graceful exit. Can you imagine the build up and hype if Haile were to run in the premier Olympic event which is staged on closing night. Can you imagine the depth our disappointment if Haile were to drop out or fade. Would we end up thinking of him as a looser? The sorry images of 2004, a Haile in pain and fading, are still etched in the Ethiopian psyche. That event did not end up being painful because the pain of watching Haile fade was soothed by the joy of Kenenisa’s coronation. The King is dead. Long live the King! But if Haile fades in Beijing there is no King in waiting to crown. Entering his twilight years Haile does not have a lot of opportunity for glory to make up for disappointment in Beijing. If he fails we won’t forget easily.

While it looks disparate, I think Haile's filtering with the 10,000M may be due to his realization that this event is his only chance of getting a medal this time around. There is even talk that Kenenisa will run the 5000 clearing the way for Haile to lead the charge. I seriously doubt that will happen. Even if it did happen Haile is not a lock to win. Dr. Woldemeskel Kostre put the nails in the coffin when he said that "It's very tough for him because he can't compete with the younger men over the 10,000." I don’t expect Haile to run the 10,000. Haile, more than anyone knows if he is capable of meeting a challenge. Smart guys don’t go after things that don’t make sense. By pulling out of the Marathon, Haile, being a smart guy did what a smart guy would do. Exist gracefully.

Dube Jillo on the other hand damaged the Federation with his out of dated dictatorial way of management. Let’s say Dube has his way and forces Haile to run in Beijing, what is to stop Haile from dropping out after the first mile. Does Dube actually think this style of management would yield good results? Dube Jillo’s handing of this issue was a throw back to the communist era when the federation controlled everything, it was so outdated that he was embarrassingly repudiated by the International Olympic Committee which said which said the withdrawal was “fully justified” and that no one could force Gebrselassie to run. Amen!


But we do have a problem. Ethiopian athletes consistently complain about and underperform in hot weather. Last year, Mombassa was an embarrassment and later the World Championship was reminders that unless the Federation changes how it selects and trains athletes Ethiopia will perform poorly in Beijing. I am not optimistic there have been changes. This dispute between Dube and Haile shows you that the Federation has not caught on. Beijing is not Haile’s type of marathon. Haile is not a tactical runner. All his great runs have been in races that were speed runs. He tends to do better when he has no serious challengers. He has not run a hot weather marathon. A hot weather marathon is a different beast. So why would the federation want to run Haile, a cool weather runner, in the Olympics? It needs to update it's selection criteria. The federation simply can’t change the way it does things. This, my friends, is a problem that is all too common in Ethiopia.

Redemption Day!!

What a difference a year makes!

After the dismal performance in Mombasa one year ago, the Ethiopian team swept all four individual titles (feat last accomplished back in 1994!) and two out of the four team titles at the World Cross-Country Championships in Edinburgh, Scotland today.

The dominating performance displayed by the entire Ethiopian squad was punctuated by the record breaking sixth title of Kenenisa in the senior Men’s race. After losing his shoe on the first lap, and falling behind some 15 sec in the race as he stopped to put it back on, Kenenisa gradually worked his way back to the front and ultimately opened an insurmountable gap on his pursuers on the last lap.

The ease with which Kenenisa won the race disguises the furious pace forced by Zeresenay Tadesse of Eritrea and Komon of Kenya in an attempt to break Kenenisa early. Not only did Kenenisa withstand the assault, but he was able to pull ahead at will in the decisive final lap. Keneinsa’s performance was lauded by one of the race commentators as “the best running performance I have ever seen.”

Congratulations Team Ethiopia for one of the greatest days of Ethiopian athletic achievement!
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More:
Ethiopia romp home to their first ever sweep of all four individual golds – Edinburgh 2008

Bekele wins record-setting sixth world cross-country title, Dibaba wins women's race

Peerless Bekele crowns glorious day for Ethiopia

Bekele claims record sixth title

Meseret Defar: Top Female Athlete of 2007

Earlier today, Ethiopian great Meseret Defar was crowned as the female World Athlete of the Year for 2007 at the World Athletics Gala in Monte-Carlo. This is the first time an Ethiopian female athlete has been selected for this most prestigious award in athletics. In the past, Kenenisa Bekele has received the men's award on two occasions while Haile Gebrselassie received it one time.

Upon receiving the award, which carries a USD100,000 prize, Defar commented:

I don’t have words to describe how happy I am. This is very special for me. This is very special for Ethiopian women. Those who struggle very hard and who don't have very many opportunities to achieve the highest levels of athletics. So I dedicate this award to them.

At the same Gala Awards, Haile Gebrselassie, who was one of the three finalist for male World Athlete of the Year, was selected for the category of Inspirational Award... more

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Below is a summary of links to reports ROOCHA posted on Meseret Defar during 2007:

• Record in Stuttgart
• Speedy Mezzy
• Defar Breaks 5000M WR
• They Call Her Bold
• Osaka: Day Eight - Women's 5000M Final

Snubbed Again for Chiba?

What has the Ethiopian Athletics Federation done to upset the Japanese? This has been an unanswered question for a year now. There is a report that Ethiopia, for the second year in a row, has not been invited by the Japanese federation to compete at the prestigious Chiba Ekiden Relay. The question I posed at the bottom of my Nov. 27, 2006 post remians unanswered.

Tamrat Ayalew Wins Marine Marathon

Tamrat Ayalew, who has been a subject of an earlier post here on ROOCHA, won yesterday's Marine Corps Marathon in Washington, D.C. Today's edition of the Washington Post ran a nice story on the marathon. They also have indexed video clips of the finish line where you can watch the winners as well as all the other finishers.

Although Marine Corps Marathon does not award any money to top finishers (thus its nick name The People's Marathon), it is great to see an Ethiopian take the win in Washington, D.C., adopted home of perhaps the largest concentration of Ethiopians outside of Ethiopia.

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Personal kudos to a local friend Mamo who completed the marathon in 3:47 with minimal training. Great job!

Any Resemblance?

David Letterman would say: "Abe, Haile. Haile, Abe."

Do you see any resemblance? The hairline, the half-shut eye, the ear, the headtilt, the mustache? Is Haile doing some of it in purpose?

Cheering Adere From The Back

By Roocha WeaDage

Once again this year, a hearty congratulations to Berhane Adere who won Chicago in 2:33:49, albeit right at the intersection of Marathon Ln. and Champion Dr.

At the crack of dawn, walking down to the starting corral in Grant Park, it was a breath of fresh air walking into a forest of runners who were stretching and getting ready for the race to start. Walking past the starting line, I imagined this is where one of our country heroes Adere will be starting off along with the other elite athletes. Isn't it great that only and only in running one is able to compete with the who's who of world class athletes!

Chicago '07 certainly was a marathon to remember from its record heat wave to the unprecedented finish as Adere reached deep into her track & field days to win Chicago back to back. For elite athletes and others alike, Chicago '07 perhaps will go down in history book as a disappointment. Couple days before the race, a Chicagoist article "Chicago Marathon 2007: This One's Gonna Hurt" wrote:

Don’t be a hero. These aren’t the conditions for a personal best; finishing in one piece is good enough.

For those who heeded this advise, it served well, and for others Chicago '07 was chalked as one of the most challenging marathon. To put it in perspective, instead of spectators congratulating finishers for finishing a marathon, the scene last Sunday was such that spectators were congratulating finishers for surviving the record heat wave.

However, beneath Chicago's heat wave and disappointing finishing time, there was a common thread that united hundreds of runners: the love of running under the name of charity, the unity to bring opportunity and miracles to others less fortunate. It's this combination that made this year's Chicago marathon an extraordinary marathon for many as hundreds were running for a great cause, mine being a A Running Start Foundation which is making a tangible impact to Ethiopia's future runners.

A Running Start Foundation is an organization that is dedicated to using the power of sport to improve the lives of underprivileged youngsters in Ethiopia and East Africa. One example is a project that is taking place in Ethiopia with the youth sports club in Bekoji that has produced world renowned athletes such as Kenenisa Bekele and Tirunesh Dibaba. Being part of this great cause through running was simply a priceless experience. This year's Chicago Marathon represented over 80 charities raising nearly $10M. Many thanks to those who supported these causes and a challenge for others to get involved.

These great charity programs involve common runners as well as elite athletes. In this spirit of charity, I had the pleasure of having a dinner with one of the elite athletes from neighboring Kenya who also combines the passion of running with a greater cause. Meeting Christopher Cheboiboch who finished 6th last weekend was an experience. Christopher is an athlete who displays a compassionate and genuine attitude towards others not only through his words but also through his actions. Although Sunday's running condition left more to be desired, it gave Christopher and myself an opportunity to talk about running and how it can make an impact on society at large. Christopher, like many others, is involved in developing a primary school named Salba Academy in his home country Kenya. Through his generosity, Christopher has used his earnings from New York City Marathon and Boston Marathon winnings to afford kids in his community an opportunity to learn and grow. Kudos to Christopher and wish him best in his endeavors.

For the rest of us, let's continue to make a difference. Yechalale! ... Translation from Amharic: "It’s possible". Together we can make a difference!

Long live ROOCHA!
------------------------------
Roocha Note: Thank you Roocha WeaDage for sharing your firsthand experience in Chicago and congratulations on surviving the heat and finishing the marathon.

Beijing Pollution Concerns

A couple of articles of interest.

Nice article in today's Washington Post titled "Gray Wall Dims Hopes of 'Green' Games"

Two weeks ago, two Ethiopian middle-distance running champions announced they would forgo some events because of the "disgusting weather and air pollution." New Zealand and American athletes say they will wear face masks if necessary. Even Jacques Rogge, president of the International Olympic Committee, warned that some endurance sports might be postponed if the pollution gets too bad.

Also this article titled "A 'disgusting' Beijing Repels Olympic Athletes" quotes Kenenisa as saying that Beijing has “mixture of disgusting weather and air pollution" and that he will not try to double. Meseret Defar says that she will have to change her exercise regime and routines radically and will not attempt to double.

Happy Birthday!

After 135 posts over the past 12 months, ROOCHA, the blog, today turns one year old! It has been a remarkable year with lots of emotional ups and downs, victories and defeats, but it has been a lot of fun writing about our beloved sport of running from a personal, national, and international perspective. Looking forward to the next 12 months as we count down to Beijing. Your comments and suggestions are most welcome.

Berhane Adere: Talent and Guts

UPDATE: You can watch here the last few minutes of "one of the greatest race comebacks" turned in by Berhane Adere at the Chicago Marathon today.
--------------------------------------------------------------------

As if the men's photo finish was not dramatic enough for one marathon, Berhane Adere produced the most amazing sprint over the last half-mile to come from some 80 meters behind to win the Chicago Marathon right at the finish line. Berhane won last year's race in what I thought was as gutsy performance as one can ever expect to see, but she has outdone herself this year in what is sure to become a classic come-from-behind marathon victory story.

Berhane Adere- all talent and all guts! Looking forward to cheer for you in Beijing Olympics next year. Bravo! Bravo! Bravo!

Ivuti and Adere clinch Chicago Marathon
victories with dramatic sprints
Sunday 7 October 2007

Chicago, USA - The 30th running of the LaSalle Bank Chicago Marathon turned into a sprint as both the men's and women's winners won in dramatic, but very different ways... Defending women's champion Berhane Adere of Ethiopia made up 30 seconds in the last two kilometres, most of it down the 385 yard finishing straight to blow past a shocked Adriana Pirtea of Romania in the final 50 metres to win by three seconds in 2:33:49... Pirtea seemed to be on her way to a comfortable victory in her debut marathon, waving to the crowd and oblivious to the fact that Adere was sprinting at top speed down the homestretch. On her toes and in full flight, Adere, flashed past the celebrating Pirtea, passing several men in the process and missing the finish tape that had been stretched out for Pirtea. By the time the Romanian, who had attended the University of Texas, El Paso in the US, realized that Adere was anywhere near her, it was too late... more

Tight finishes highlight 2007 marathon, By Shannon Ryan,Tribune staff reporter

October 7, 2007, 11:09 AM CDT

...Ethiopian Berhane Adere recorded one of the greatest race comebacks, repeating as women's champion in 2:33:49. Adere fell behind by about 25 seconds late in the race but managed to sprint to the finish and overtake unsuspecting Romanian Adriana Pirtea. Pirtea learned a quick lesson in her marathon debut -- do not relax until it's over. She waved to the crowd in celebration of what she thought was a clear-cut victory after pulling ahead of Adere around the 22d mile. In a wise move, Adere ran to the outside of the course out of Pirtea's vision. Pirtea appeared unaware that she was being passed and was shocked to learn the news after finishing in 2:33:52... more

Wunetim Worku (Truly Gold)

By Haddis Tafari

When I recently discovered that Haile Gebrselassie would headline a half marathon race in New York City, I jumped at the chance and went to New York to watch the race. It was a rare opportunity to see Haile Gebrselassie in action and I did not want to miss it.

I was thrilled to see Haile, but I went home thinking about the other Ethiopian Athletes that were in the same race. I had often read race reports about Leteyesus Berhe, Kasahun Kabiso and Retta Feyissa. However, I was surprised to see that there are a growing number of over 20 Ethiopian athletes in the New York area.

Some are veteran athletes that are in their 30’s while others are youngsters that have made it to the US., through some form of Visa sponsorship and are attached to running clubs in the New York City area. As I made my way to the finish line to watch the end of the race I ran into a group of Ethiopians and Americans who talked about one of the local Ethiopian runners. They spoke passionately about Worku Beyi, a shy 20 year old guy who now runs for the Westchester running club.

As we waited for Haile to make his way down from the hotel for the award ceremony, we got to meet and talk to Worku. Worku had just finished 8th in the half marathon behind Haile in a personal best of 1:03.39. He talked about his race and the fact that he was not too happy with his shoes that day. He also joked about how Haile was impressed with his run. After the race Haile had quipped, “I am calling the federation to tell (report) to them the talent that is hiding here”.

Most of the Ethiopian runners that are in the New York area have gravitated to the Big Apple because of the New York Road Runners system that puts on multiple races a year. This allows the runners to earn a living while working small jobs. According to a recent New York Times article some of them work in nursing homes. Worku and Leteyesus work as pacers which involves taking some local runners on paced long runs in Central Park. Worku primarily survives on his race winnings which he uses to support himself and his family.

I was immediately scared to death when I heard how these runners are left to fend for themselves. Many of them live in the Bronx and room together in small apartments and their obligations likely exceed their means. What happens when they are injured? How can $500 and $1,000 dollar race checks cover rent, room and board? How do they communicate?

The most heartbreaking thing is that the thousands of Ethiopians that live in the NYC area are probably not aware off the plight of these athletes. There is no support system. From what I could tell the Ethiopian runners are supported by some coaches in the NYC area and some Americans who they have befriended. I felt a sense of shame that we (Ethiopians) are not helping each other because we are not aware of there plight. I felt so guilty that I made it a point to make sure I knew how to contact at least one of the runners … and how to provide whatever assistance I can afford.

As we headed to the Subway with Worku and his young Wife, we realized that we only had a $20 bill to purchase our subway ticket. Worku refused to let us use our credit card to purchase a subway card. He quickly scanned us through the turnstile and he paid for our trip.

I was fighting tears when I thought about this young man's generosity to random Ethiopians. If they can be generous to their countryman why shouldn’t we?

I vowed to myself that I will help Worku in anyway I can. I felt a need to return his generous favor 100 fold. I wanted to help make his dreams come true.

I urge the writers of this blog and others that may be reading this to help our local Ethiopian runners. Lets create a network to help them. It may be something as simple as providing them a place to stay as they race in your town. It may be paying their rent when they are injured. Whatever it is we should help these guys realize there dreams.

Here is a short list of Ethiopian runners in the east coast of the United States. I am sure there are more but this is what I am aware of:

* Worku Beyi
* Demesse Tefera
* Retta Feyissa
* Abiyot Endale
* Deressa Deniboba
* Genna Tufa
* Gurmessa Megerssa
* Alemtsehay Misganaw
* Leteyesus Berhe
* Atalelech Ketema
* Aziza Aliyu
* Tereza Yohannes
* Hareg Sidelil
* Maru Daba
* Bruk Debrwork
* Mohammed Awol
* Sentayehu Haile
* Tadele Worku
* Brehanu Adane
* Alena Reta
* Belyanesh Zemedkun (DC)
* Meskerem Legesse

Since I initially wrote this article Abiyot Endale and Worku called me before a race they ran in DC. I gave them a ride to and from their friends house and they finished 1st and 3rd respectively despite niggling injuries. Belaynesh and Atalelech Ketema finished 2nd and 3rd. We gave all the runners a ride back from the race. It was a pleasure to listen to them call the other runners who were running in VA, PA etc., to exchange news on how everyone did that day. It was a pleasure to do my part in helping my countrymen and women be as successful as they can be.

-------------------------------

Roocha Note: We thank Haddis Tafari for joining our growing list of contributors. Readers interested to learn more about these local runners can do so by listening to a segment broadcast by Voice of America's Amharic service this past Sunday Sep. 30. The broadcast will be archived here until Sunday Oct. 7. Forward to 23:25 mark to listen.

2:04:26 Predicted!!

I am not a golfer but every now and then I hear mention of someone hitting a “hole-in-one.” Apparently, at least one witness is required to confirm that someone’s claim of a hole-in-one is true. I read that the worst nightmare for a golfer is achieving the rare feat of hitting a hole-in-one, but with no witness around to corroborate the story.

So, what does a hole-in-one have to do with Roocha? Well, as I watched Haile Gebrselassie cross the finish line in Berlin yesterday, I had a very similar experience of someone who had just hit a hole-in-one but with no witness! On Friday evening, I had sent out an e-mail to a private google group reminding family members to watch Haile run the Berlin Marathon on WCSN’s live webcast on Sunday. I then wrote down my prediction for Haile’s finishing time.

Imagine my shock watching the finish line clock tick over the last 20 to 30 meters of the race as Haile rushed towards the tape. I can at least try to make my case with e-mails I pulled from the “Sent” folder…


-----Original Message-----
From: "xxxxxx"
Date: Sun, 30 Sep 2007 09:09:54
To:Xxxxxx@googlegroups.com
Subject: [Xxxxxxxxxx] Re: Watch Berlin Marathon on Sunday

Am I good or am I good? Haile breaks the record in 2:04:26!!!

Sent wirelessly via BlackBerry from T-Mobile.

-----Original Message-----
From: "xxxxxx"
Date: Fri, 28 Sep 2007 21:50:02
To:Xxxxxx@googlegroups.com
Subject: [Xxxxxxxxxx] Watch Berlin Marathon on Sunday

Haile Gebrselassie will be attempting to break the marathon world record in a highly anticipated race in Berlin and Gete Wami will also be defending her title. You can watch it LIVE at wcsn.com for US$4.95.

My prediction: Haile gets the record in a time of 2:04:26

Xxxxxx

Sent wirelessly via BlackBerry from T-Mobile.

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You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Xxxxxxxxxx" group.
To post to this group, send email to Xxxxxx@googlegroups.com
To unsubscribe from this group, send email to Xxxxxx-unsubscribe@googlegroups.com
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2:04:26

I think it is now beyond debate that Haile Gebrselassie of Ethiopia is the greatest distance runner of all time...

BERLIN (AFP) — Double Olympic champion Haile Gebrselassie broke the world marathon record with an unofficial time of 2hr 4min 26sec in winning the 34th Berlin Marathon on Sunday.

The 34-year-old Ethiopian, who won 10,000m gold at Atlanta in 1996 and at Sydney four years later, bettered Kenyan Paul Tergat's record of 2hr 4min and 55sec set in 2003 also in the German capital... more

http://www.iht.com/articles/2007/09/18/sports/18ath.php

In Flight With Golden Athletes

By Tariku Taye
Jan 8 2004

As the British airways flight 6565 landed at the Bole International Airport in the capital city of Ethiopia, Addis Ababa, there was a sigh of relief for the two internationally known athletes who were unfortunately traveling with the rest of us in the economy class. These athletes are returning from an athletics competition in Europe. He from England, she from Spain, both having just won gold medals in their respective field.

Although their look and body structure speaks volume about their profession, these athletes were not recognized by most of the passengers in the aircraft. On this flight, my seat was located at the stern of the plane, Triple seats are located on each side of the plane. My wife and I were sitting on one side with out having another passenger with us, while the seat on the other side was fully occupied and a young beautiful girl was sitting at the edge with two white males.

I looked at this young girl and wondered where I knew her. Her braided hair and her Nubian dark complexion reminded me of someone I know somewhere. For several minutes, I was browsing my memory file searching for her identity. Suddenly, as if I found the reat mystery of the cosmos, I was eager to ask her if she was Tirunesh Dibaba, the young athlete who won the 5000m competition in France. I remembered how, on that day, I jumped out of my seat when she crossed the finishing line. Fear of embarrassment kept me hesitating to ask if she is not whom I thought she was. I decided to wait until I found the right moment.

A few seats further ahead of us, a young man was kneeling and leaning on the seat and looking back ward towards us, It seems that he is searching for a reason to come and sit beside the young girl. After meals were served, this young man came and stood by her side. He looks like a very polite and down to earth person. Since I found a reason to talk to him, I asked him if he wants to sit beside me. He said no thank you. I told him politely to consider the offer again but his answer is still no, no thank you. Since we started a conversation, I took this opportunity to ask them if they are athletes, He answered right away, "Yes, yes, I am Sileshi Sihine and she is Egigayehu Dibaba." Although my first assumption was wrong about the young girl, my excitement grew as I kept on talking to them. I asked him if he was the one who came third in Paris, first in Addis run and first in LAGOS. He said yes, yes and yes. I told him how I'm honored to have him sit beside me. I coaxed him almost to take the seat. With two hands between his legs, he burrowed his head between his shoulders and dragged his feet to take the seat. For a man of his status, this kind of behavior could be considered bizarre by many, but for an Ethiopian it is a polite gesture.

The name Egigayehu didn't strike me at first but the last name's resemblance with Tirunesh Dibaba excited me more to ask her if they are sisters. Her snowflake white teeth with a perfect smile glowed in the blurred light of the airplane and her nocturnal eye glanced at me and confirmed my assumption with a nod.

Sileshi become extremely happy, sitting with someone who has extensive knowledge of the names and history of Ethiopian athletes and their professional achievements. He asked how I came to collect immense knowledge on Ethiopian athletes. I told him that several years of continuous harassment of my country by its leaders and western media made me turn my face to look for role models and good citizens who once again could bring my country Ethiopia to the spotlight of the world and to show some of our good side. Where I live, I found the only good news coming out of that country were the great achievements of our athletes in the world stage. I walk with pride whenever I see our young, energetic and bold athletes rise to the podium to receive their medals. For those of us living in Diaspora you are our shining stars, that's why I follow up your stories.

I looked at Egigayehu and told her about the great achievements of her sister in the Paris competition, and how happy and proud I was the day she won the race, "You are going to be the golden family if you keep on winning", I said. To my excitement, she added that Derartu Tulu is her aunt. My excitement grew as I heard the name Derartu who is one of the greatest athletes in the world, the queen of long distance, and the double medal winner of the Olympic. With Derartu on their side, Ethiopia is blessed to have such a wonderful, internationally recognized family. They are the real jewel of
the country.

These very well mannered athletes grew up poor in a peasant family. Sileshi Sihine grew up in a small town called Sheno a few kilometers away from a town called Debre Birhan. "My father was a peasant who did grow enough food for the family. It was a struggle to survive in such a harsh condition but I used to go to elementary school in Sheno before I moved to Addis Ababa to pursue my career in athletics." he said.

"While I was continuing my high school study, I was searching for athletics clubs to support me in my career. I came to Addis Ababa with two of my friends, with the hope of becoming great athletes. Because of the extreme cost of living, my friends quit and went back to their village while I stayed on to fulfill my hope. If it was not for my elementary gymnastic teacher, who encouraged me a lot to become an athlete, and my role model Haile Gebreselassie whom I admire and respect, I might have probably gone back to my home town and become a peasant rather than an athlete. I kept on practicing everyday without losing hope."

"One day I was accepted to run with big athletes like Haile and Kennenisa Bekele. I proved that I can run and Paris was the highlight of my life, I become third after Kennenisa and Haile in the ten thousand meter athletic competition. Since then I have been running many great runs in Europe and Africa, I've been winning and winning and winning. Today I came from another competition in England, the great North run with another gold medal and few thousand dollars in my pocket. I've the news paper clips with me." he said with passion.

As he stood up to bring the news paper clips he brought with him, Egigayehu told me her part of the story. She also got a gold medal in Barcelona, Spain and showed me the Spanish newspaper clip with her picture in the front page wearing the gold medal on her neck.

In one weekend, three Ethiopians in women's and men's competition won gold medals in Europe. As Sileshi brought me the news paper clip, I saw Egigayehu's other sister, Tirunesh Dibaba, who was also another winner in the women competition in the Great North Run.

These athletes compete with the best of the world and are writing history with golden ink. These proud son and daughters of mother Ethiopia are the only hope to repair her tarnished image, while the educated and the the well off are running away from the country for a better world. For a country whose pride in the past is going down the drain and has become known as the poorest of the poor and worst place to live, such amazing people are the ones who bring her name to the high podium of achievers in the world stage of sports.

Sport is one of the measurements of strength in a society. A healthy society is one which takes the courage to participate in sports and have healthy well-built citizens. In today's Ethiopia, an early morning trip out of the capital proves that the future generation will dominate the world stage of running. Many young athletes are coming up to show the world our strength in sports. Hard work and continuous training is the way to prevail over poverty. We will learn more from our athletes about how to become successful than from our politicians and so-called elites.

That's why I love Roocha.

Mil gracias to our dear reader and contributor Tariku Taye not to be confused with Tariku Bekele or our favorite runner Tariku Aboset

1992 Clip - Haile Whacked

If you haven't already seen this clip, it is a must see. This has to be one of the strangest finishes.

In 1992, Josephat Machuka gave Haile Gebrselassie a solid whack as Haile pulled ahead of him at the finish of the World Junior Championships 10,000 M race. For a long time I had heard about the hit Haile Gebrselassie took. Now, thanks to YouTube I get to see it.

Haile had been shadowing the Kenyans the whole race without leading. Needless to say the Kenyans thought that was unfair. Machuka lost his cool and was of course disqualified.

As a junior runner, Machuka was an outstanding athlete. He would have placed second in the 1992 World Junior Championships had he kept his fist to himself. He finished third behind Haile in the 1992 World Junior Cross Country Championships. Machuka went on to be a solid runner but never managed to win a big event.

Also impressive was how a young Haile was baffled but calm.

Osaka Medals

Osaka Recap: What We Got Wrong

The disappointing Men’s 5000M performance was a sour finale to Osaka. One week later I am still a bit sour. That said, let’s get this wrap up done.

First off was this World Championship a Success? The chart below should answer that question.



Clearly, Osaka was a big step back, the worst result since 1997. The Ethiopian Athletics Federation needs to take note. The medal count is unimpressive. Even less impressive is how these medals were won, brute force.

So what did we get wrong?


Poor Preparation
It has been obvious for a while that the hot weather preparation Ethiopian athletes have been doing is not working. In 2004, the touted Athens Olympics Marathon preparation was a farce when only two of the men managed to finish. The guys finished in 15th and 46th place. That was on the heal of the 1st and 3rd place finishes just four years earlier at Sydney. Earlier this year, before Mombasa the Federation confidently boasted about hot weather preparations. Mombasa was a total disaster. Obviously the preparation is not working. What did the team do different for Osaka? Nothing. Same old preparation same old result in the Marathon. I feel like yelling: what ever you do please do not use the same hot weather preparation before Beijing. It won’t work!

Team Selection
Tactical running has become a lost art among Ethiopian runners. It seems like in the Haile Marathon era, tactical marathon running is not appreciated much. Gezahenge Abera was not a fastest runner but he sure knew how to run tactical races and win. Runners that do well in hot weather generally are going to have slower times than those that do well on fast courses. The present selection process favors fast runners. Why select a cold weather speedster when you know the marathon in Beijing is going to be a hot weather tactical race? Coaches should look at selecting runners that are tactical runners.

Old Superstars Opted Out
Gete, Berehane and Haile opted out of the World Championships. All thee are former tack runners that are speedster marathoners. I am pretty sure they would have taken a good licking had they ran Marathons. However, if they have plans to be part of the Beijing squad they should have taken their lessons in Osaka rather than show up unprepared for the Olympics. The conditions are going to be similar.

Slow Races
Enough said on this topic.


Slow Middle Distance Development
The Ethiopian Athletics Federation is not moving into the 1500M and 800M races aggressively.

At the 1999 World Championships Kutre Dulecha won a bronze medal in the Women’s 1500M. At the 2000 Olympics Kutre finished 4th in the 1500M, while Wendimu Mulugeta was a finalist in the Men's 1500M and Alemu Berhanu was a semi-finalist in the Men's 800M. For a while it looks like things were going to blossom.

Sadly, the Ethiopian Athletics Federation has not built on these successes. Ethiopia is loaded with 1500M talent that needs to be harvested. Former Ethiopian and 1500M World Champion Maryam Yusuf Jamal has shown that.

Only two men and one woman were entered in the 1500M. The 800M has been totally abandoned.

What are your thoughts?

Osaka Recap: What We did Right

The Great Ones Came Through
Ethiopia had three great Athletes that were overwhelming favorites. Tirunesh, Meseret and Kenenisa. All there delivered. Sileshi also belongs in that category. I actually think Sileshi was the best runner in the men's 10000M race. He just did not run the best race. All Ethiopian medals were won on account of superior talent. There were no upsets.

Men's 10,000M Good Team Work
Not the best team work but good team work. Tadesse Tola unselfishly tried to slow down the pace. Later Gebre-egziaber also did his part to tire out Zarsenay Tadese. Mostly these two made sure that a gap did not open up. The work done by these two fellows set Sileshi and Kenenisa for the finish. When Mathathi made a move and Kenenisa was struggling, he signaled Sileshi to responded. Sileshi took off with Mathathi and Kenenisa caught up. They ran as teammates till it was just the two of them. This is nice to see.

3000 Steeplechase Mens
Decent performance reaching the finals. Roba Gari finished 10th while Nahom Mesfin finished 12th in the finals. Good showing for two young fellows.


I can't think of much else. Anything you want to add?

Osaka Recap: China Watch

I start looking forward to Beijing I noticed something did not add up.
Last December, I blogged about 17 year-old Xue Fei of China who had put on an impressive display at the Asian Games. I found it curios that Xue Fie was not in Osaka. Add to that the absence of reigning 10000M Olympic Champion Xing Huina. In fact, China did not enter a Women’s 5000M or 10000M squad. The Authorities claim that Xing Huina is injured. But that does not prevent them from entering other athletes.

China is historically competitive the Women’s 5000M and 10000M. The world championship is an important step in any Track and Field athlete’s preparation for the Olympics. So why in the world would China decide no to enter a single athlete in the 5000M and 10000M? Not entering a squad in the World Championship’s almost always is the result of country not having athletes that can compete in that event or not having the budget. In this case we know China has the budget and the athletes. Not having experienced athletes is like conceding the Olympics. As a strategy, this defies logic.

Last December I quoted an article that basically said that Chinese officials declared themselves dissatisfied despite winning 316 medals at the Asian games. China finished second to the USA at the Olympics in 2004 but has set its sights on finishing first at the Beijing Olympics in 2008. The article says that officials are under intense pressure to deliver after a massive financial and personnel investment from the Chinese government.


To meet such lofty goals China needs to medal in every event it can. So how can such goals be met while conceding the Women’s 5000M and 10000M? Clearly Chiana will not concede these event. Will China spring a surprise like the one in 1993 when Junxia Wang who appeared from no where to set a world record that has been untouchable? Just keep your eye open.

Osaka: Day Nine - Closing Day

There are two events of interest, the Women's Marathon and the Mens 5000M. A medal is not guaranteed in either event.

The Women's marathon starts are 7:00AM Osaka time. Considering the weather at 4:00 am in Osaka was 79F degrees (26c) with humidity, it is a long shot for an Ethiopian runner to come through. In addition, the leading ladies in this event Gete Wami and Berhane Adere are sitting out this one. The experienced Shitaye Gemechu leads the Ethiopian pack. Shitaye has run the three previous World Championships, 7th in Edmonton, 10th in Paris, 22nd in Helsinki. The squad includes Askale Magarsa , winner of the 2007 Paris Marathon, Dire Tune winner of the 2007 Houston Marathon, and Adanech Zekiros winner of the 2007 P.F. Chang's Rock 'n' Roll Arizona Marathon. This is a talented squal. Lets hope youth can prevail.

I don't hold high hopes for the the Men's 5000M. Tariku showed confidence and poise as he controlled the pace of his qualifying heat. But, I very much doubt he can do the same in the final. With just two Ethiopians running in this race it will be difficult to use team tactics. The failure of Bekana Daba to qualify is costly because he could have been a great rabbit. The Ethiopians need a fast race but not an all-out-sprint-start-to-finish. Basically the race has got to be fast enough to eliminate all the 1500 specialist but not too fast such that it favors fast- even runners. If the pace is just right Tariku and Abraham can then use their kick to destroy the weakend 1500M runners and the slower 10000M type of runners. Setting the right pace will be hard work. While both Abraham and Tariku can medal I will be tickled with one medal. Any color will do.

Marathon (Women):They Melted Away
It was a hot day and the race pace was dictated by Japanese and Chinese women. the Top Ethiopian finisher Askale Megersa Tafa finished 22nd. Early in the race, Askale and eventual winner Catherine Ndereba were dropped by the lead pack. Askale did her best to stay in contact with the lead pack. Then, when Ndereba made a slow surge to rejoin the lead pack, Askale tried to keep up with Ndereba but was unable to do so. Askale was physically hurting by the time she hit the 30km mark. What I liked about her run was that she was not afraid to take punishment. Adanech Zekiros finished 47th. Robe Tola needs a mention for her leisurely 3:26:45, coming in almost one hour after the winner was in. Dire Tune Arissi did not finish. Veteran Shitay Gemechu did not start this race. This was another disaster. Poor result and in both the Men's and Women's marathon show poor preparation or team selection. It's time to start pointing fingers at the coaching staff.


5000 Meters (Men):Same Tactics, Same Poor Results
Tariku finished 5th and Abraham Cherkos finished 8th. Of all the distance tack events them Men's 5000M is the one event that has not been dominated by Ethiopians. Two failures are this distance by Kenenisa should have proven out what works and what does not. You would think Ethiopian coaches would learn from experience and adjust. But NO. Tariku and Abraham were content sitting in the pack as if they were running a 10000M race. Who do these guys think they are going to out-kick? Lagat the 1500M Champ? The coaches have to stop this silliness.

My supicion is that instead of coaching the next time around the coaches will try to pressure Kenenisa and Sileshi to run in this event. The trick they play is that if Kenenisa can't win it's not a coaching problem it becomes a Kenenisa problem.


Kenya's Success: Congratulation to Kenya! On Sunday Kenya won 3 more medals (2 Gold Medal, and 1 Silver.) Kenya has won a total of 13 medals. Ethiopia just 4. They have done a great job! We have been out classed. More on that later.

The Millennium Placard

Meseret Defar is the latest to display this placard.

Osaka: DayEight - Women's 5000 M Final

5000 Meters (Women):Meseret Defar Wins a Slow Race
Meseret Defar forced the pace during the last two laps to win. In what has to be a disappointment, Meselech Melkamu finished 6th
and Gelete Burika finished 10th. Gelete was off the pace by 9 seconds. Kenya took the next three spots and increased its already impressive medal haul. Kenya is not done yet. With possible medals in the Women’s Marathon and Men’s 5,000M, it could end up with a huge pile of medals. The most impressive phenomena at this World Championship is the quite revival of Kenyan Athletics. More on that later.
Regarding the race tactic, Meselech Melkamu was quoted as saying:

“We had hoped to take first through third, but we did not succeed. We were aiming to break away with two laps to go, and we tried, but I could not keep up with the speed.”

Running a slow race and counting on out-kicking your opponent is dangerous in the 5000M. By slwoing the pace you risk turning marginal runners or runners who don't specialize in that event into contenders. All they have to do is hang-on for the last lap. Tell that to Ali Saidi-Sief of Algeria, who slowed down the men’s 5000M finals in the 2000 Olympic. With a lap to go he went on a sprint. To his big surprise, a relatively unknown kid by the name of Million Wolde was still hanging on with 200M to go. This was not supposed to happen. Ali Saidi-Sief ran out of gas and Million Wolde went on to win a gold. Million was lucky that day but was not able to replicate that victory. He was very content with bronze in Edmonton 2001 and faded after that.

The 5000M race is too dangerous to play the out-kicking game unless you are a great 1500M runner. My suspicion is that Meserte probably would have been a dominant 1500M if she had started her career a 1500M runner. She is maybe the only one that can pull this off consistently. Some would argue Tirunesh but I doubt this she could have out sprinted Meseret. I hope the men don't fall in this trap. Tariku is no Meseret.