Kenenisa Bekele Returns to the Shorter Distances on the Track for the First Time Since 2009
By LetsRun.com
May 10, 2012
The 2012 Diamond League Track and Field season starts on Friday in Doha, Qatar with an incredible meet with many of the sports top stars going head to head in the first big meet of the year as the London Olympic preparations get underway in earnest. Take your pick as to what is the best matchup: Asbel Kiprop vs. Abubaker Kaki and Silas Kiplagat in the 1500, Pamela Jelimo vs. Janeth Jepkosgei at 800m, Kenenisa Bekele vs Imange Merga and Augustin Choge at 3000m, Meseret Defar and Vivian Cheruiyot squaring off at 3000m, Veronica Campbell Brown vs Shelly-Ann Fraser Pryce vs Allsyon Felix at 100m, or Asafa Powell vs. Justin Gatlin at 100. We have a full preview of the great meet here.
The men's 3000m is not just about 20 time world champion Kenenise Bekele's taking on former World Champion Eliud Kipchoge, former Diamond League winner Imane Merga, and the in form Edwin Soi and Augustine Choge. It also is the first track race for Bekele at a distance shorter than 10,000m since 2009. For that reason we've got a longer preview of the men's 3000m and have broken it out from our overall meet preview.
Bekele Returns to the Shorter Distances on the Track
Perhaps the most gifted man to ever lace up a pair of spikes, Bekele has 20 World Championship or Olympic titles to his credit. After winning two world titles in 2009, Bekele missed all of the 2010 season with a ruptured calf and knee injury. Bekele returned to the track last year at the World Championships at 10,000m where he dropped out. He bounced back less than a month later to win the Brussels
Diamond League 10,000m in a quick 26:43.16, in the race where Galen Rupp broke the American record.
Bekele started his 2012 campaign with a dominant 27:49 win at the Dublin Great Ireland Run on April 15th beating the rest of the field by nearly a minute. He takes on a much tougher task here as he faces a truly world class field.
Inaugural 5000m Diamond League champion, Imane Merga of Ethiopia, known for his rough style of racing that got him disqualified from the bronze medal at 5000m in Daegu, is making his 2012 track debut after skipping the indoor circuit. Last year Merga ran 12:54.21 in his first track race of the year in Rome, but that was coming off a World Cross Country title. This year Merga's only race was a so-so 28:40 at the World's Best 10k in Puerto Rico.
Eliud Kipchoge of Kenya is a five time world medallist and the 2003 World Champion at 5000m. He showed good form indoors beating Mo Farah at 2 miles in Birmingham. Kipchoge ran 7:27.66 for 3rd last year in Doha so he knows how to run fast in May.
Just to show the talent in the field Thomas Longosiwa is a 12:51 guy but we don't think he'll be a factor. The guys Bekele will have the most trouble with are Augustine Choge and Edwin Soi, who got silver and bronze behind American Bernard Lagat at the recent World Indoor 3000m. Soi, also the bronze medallist at 5000m at the Beijing Olympics, has run 12:52 and is known for his "blazing", "breathtaking", and "devastating" kick.
The bigger talent may be Choge. He ran 12:53.66 for 5000m 7 years ago in 2005. After that he primarily became a 1500m runner and has run 3:29.47 with nine Diamond/Golden League wins at 1500m and the mile. Choge's problem is he has not done great in tactical championship 1500m races with a 5th at the Berlin Worlds his best finish. His best shot for a gold medal likely is in the 5000m. If he ever figures out the 5000m very few people on paper would be able to beat him. His silver medal to Lagat at World Indoors in the 3000m was an encouraging step for him. A victory here over Bekele would stamp Choge as a serious medal threat at 5000m.
Analysis: If Bekele wins at 3000m in his first race out, the rest of the world might want to start planning for silver in London. If Choge wins throw another guy into the mix who could make the London 5000m the most anticipated distance race of the Olympics.
More: Bekele Wants to Double at Olympics, Says He Is Not Training at Full Capacity Because of Injury Fears
| Athlete | DATE OF BIRTH | Nation | PB |
|---|---|---|---|
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12.12.1990
|
TUR
|
7:48.74
|
|
|
13.06.1982
|
ETH
|
7:25.79
|
|
|
01.07.1976
|
ALG
|
|
|
|
21.01.1987
|
KEN
|
7:28.76
|
|
|
12.06.1984
|
QAT
|
7:28.28
|
|
|
05.11.1984
|
KEN
|
7:27.66
|
|
|
02.09.1986
|
UGA
|
7:30.95
|
|
|
19.12.1993
|
KEN
|
7:51.51
|
|
|
31.08.1990
|
ETH
|
7:51.21
|
|
|
14.01.1988
|
KEN
|
7:30.09
|
|
|
15.10.1988
|
ETH
|
7:53.62
|
|
|
03.02.1988
|
KEN
|
7:35.44
|
|
|
16.04.1990
|
KEN
|
7:35.57
|
|
|
21.04.1980
|
KEN
|
7:40.26
|
|
|
03.03.1986
|
KEN
|
7:27.55
|
|
|
03.12.1992
|
DJI
|
|
|
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04.01.1985
|
ALG
|
7:47.68
|
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