Kenenisa Bekele, Mo Farah, Bernard Lagat, and Asbel Kiprop at the 2012 Prefontaine Press Conference

By LetsRun.com
June 1, 2012

Friday afternoon was media day at the Pre Classic.

LetsRun.com spoke to the four distance runners Bernard Lagat, Mo Farah, Kenenisa Bekele, and Mo Farah. Full video below.

Quick highlights.

Bernard Lagat said if he was Lopez Lomong and David Torrence he would run the 5000m at the US Olympic Trials. Both Lomong and Torrence have "A" standards in the 1500m and 5000m. He thought Lomong had the strength to double at the Trials. Lagat said his goal at Pre is to run his own race and run 3:51 or 3:52 in the mile. Plus, Lagat talks about his legacy in the sport and stopping after 2013.

Kenenisa Bekele said he believes he has enough time to be ready for the London Olympics assuming he stays healthy. He said he is using his races to help him get in shape saying he does not enjoy finishing in the back and vowing for Pre, "Tomorrow's race will be different because I am improving." His new track in Ethiopia that was built specifically to help him stay healthy is done and he has trained on it three times. Bekele said he does not need any high tech gadgetry. How about this quote, "Sometimes yo udon't need a lot of technology for training. If you are talented, if you are gifted from god you don't need many technologies. Of course technology will help you if you are not so talented...."  He also does not worry too much about the other competitors. Bekele confirmed World Champion Ibrahim Jeilan is out of the Olympics with injury.

Mo Farah talked about how a year ago he was an up and comer and had his coming out part at Pre. He said having a great coach (Alberto Salazar) and training partner (Galen Rupp) help, but that mainly his confidence is higher. He said Galen Rupp sdoes all the same workouts with him and the one advantage he, Farah has over Rupp is more experience. Farah also admitted he had no idea who Ibrahim Jeilan was until after Jeilan won Worlds last year.

Olympic and World Champ Asbel Kiprop talked about breaking 3:30 for the first time and the three Kenyans under 3:30 this year. He said he wants to run 3:48 at Pre in the mile. When asked if the Olympics would be between him and the other Kenyans or would the Ethiopians factor in as well, Kiprop mentioned Yusuf Kamel and Matt Centrowitz.

Kenenisa Bekele (In the first part Bekele talks about the track that he built to stay healthy, and then at the end he talks about how he has enough time to be ready for the Olympics.)	Mo Farah (11:31) (We start it in the middle after he does a BBC 5 radio interview. Farah is talking about the British Olympic Trials at the start. He goes on to talk about what separates him from Galen Rupp.)
Bernard Lagat (19:38) Lagat talks about his longevity, his legacy, his 4:59 2000m time trial, training with Augustine Choge and what event David Torrence and Lopez Should Run	Asbel Kiprop He Talks About Going Sub 3:30, Wanting to Run 3:48 at Pre, and Even Matt Centrowitz (3:14)

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