It's funny reading about how people though Bekele had no shot at the 5k or 10k WRs.
It's funny reading about how people though Bekele had no shot at the 5k or 10k WRs.
what do you say about the eritrean athletes in up coming mombasa comp.
my opinion is if kenenisa did not compete then no doubt zeresnay will win it and they do have also strong cross country athletes and as julius, coach of the kenyan athletes, said the team title willgo to eritrean atheltes
Kenya: 'Eritrea, Not Ethiopia, Are Our Main Rivals'
The East African Standard (Nairobi)
February 27, 2007
Posted to the web February 27, 2007
Chris Mbaisi
Nairobi
National cross country team coach Julius Kirwa says Eritrea, and not Ethiopia, could pose the biggest threat at the next month's World Cross Country Championships in Mombasa.
"I am surprised there is too much focus on Ethiopia. I think the team to watch is Eritrea," he said.
He said Eritrea gave them a run for their money last year especially in the senior men's 12km race and almost took off with the team title.
"We beat them by four points and I am sure they are not sleeping wherever they are as they have the ability to do it," he said.
Kirwa said Ethiopia has a few people like Kenenisa Bekele to plan for, but his main focus will be on the upcoming athletics super power, Eritrea.
"I saw the way they were running last year and I am almost convinced that they could wreck havoc in Mombasa," said Kirwa.
He said during his two-week training stint at the Kigari Teachers Training College in Embu, he would concentrate on speed.
The tactician said he realised there were big gaps during the trials and his mission is to close them.
"I want to leave Kigari knowing that the athletes are able to keep close with others. Otherwise it will be difficult for us," he added.
He said the gaps in the men's 12km and the junior women's 6km left a lot to be desired.
He warned athletes to proceed to the camp prepared as it would entail two weeks of rigorous training.
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He said there is no guarantee that an athlete would make the team just because he or she won during the trials.
"All athletes including wildcards will have to prove it in training at Kigari and this is where the real team will be named," he added.
He said the team would be training in the afternoon's hot sun as a way of acclimatising to the conditions at the Coast.
eritrean will put their name in the internationl for the first time by winning the likes of kenyan and ethiopian
Eritrea the Djibouti of the 21st century
Ethiopian athletics federation has left one place vacant in the squad released on Wednesday as it has yet to reach a decision on the participation of five-time double World Cross Country champion Kenenisa Bekele.
watch out the king is coming. no gold senior men indvidual for kenya
Men’s side the selectors have left a place open in the men’s 12km squad in the eventuality that five-time double world cross country champion Kenenisa Bekele may after all participate in Mombasa. Bekele has indicated that he has finished competing at the world cross country championships, but EAF Technical Director Dube Julo is still hopeful that Bekele will change his mind.
One minor change to the squad sees the replacement of Konjit Tilahun, who finished fifth in the trails, by Genzebe Dibaba, who finished seventh. Tilahun will be over age for the junior competition by the time of the championships on 24th March.
I spoke to kenenisa last week and, while.. i didn't ask him the q? he seems very focused on osaka.. and taking some shots at some WR's. He doesn't want to get caught up in any golden leauge etc.,.. he wants to run less and preserve himself.
He can't have another year like he had last year.
LAST SATURDAY, INTRVIEWED BY SEIFU FANTAHJUN, ON 97.1 AND HE INDEED FOCUS ON OSAKA AND ALSO MENTION TO COMPETE ON XC.
a reporter for athletics weekly said K. bekele just announed he will run the world cross country meet on march 24 2007. K. BEKELE IS RUNNING.
officially announced 2 hours ago.
now it is on iaaf.org
I knew he would run this year as soon as he crossed the finish line at last year race. He would not run (LOL) as he had nothing else to prove and he had the media and alot of fans believing him!
Kenenisa Bekele willing to compete in Mombasa.
six win in a row for long race
Turning to cross country, Kenyan runners’ nemesis, Ethiopia’s Kenenisa Bekele, won’t be going to Mombasa. But that does not give Kenyans chance of regaining the 12km title, which they haven’t won since 1999.
Eritrea’s Zernassay Tadesse, the world’s 20km champion, has become increasingly ambitious and while we have all the advantages one can think of, our athletes must watch over their shoulders for this lurking threat.
no kenya, no zeresenay.
It belongs to kenenisa
Hey Mesfin.
Im not sure about your bet.
what i know is KB will face a very competitive team from kenya and its hard to predict,kenyans having the undvantage of home crowd it will not be easy to bit,
i can see KB being beaten for the first time.
"After running a 2000m World best in Birmingham on 17 February and a World leading time of 7.30.51 at 3000m in Stockholm on 20 February, I started to doubt my decision. I knew that I was in great shape"
KENENISA NEVER SAID IN SUCH CONFIDENCE MODE AND GOD IS MY WITNESS NO BODY WILL BEAT THE KING
clever money is on someone else!!!!!
Mosop is the one to watch.
KENENISA B. ADDED TO ETHIOPIAN X-COUNTRY TEAM
Addis Ababa, Ethiopia - The Ethiopian Athletics Federation (EAF) has announced that Kenenisa Bekele and Gelete Burka have been added to the team for the 35th IAAF World Cross Country Championships in Mombasa, Kenya, which will be held on 24 March 2007. Final entries close by midnight (Monaco time) 12 March 2007.
Bekele, who had indicated that the World Cross Country Championships in Fukuoka, Japan last year would be his last, has overturned his decision and will compete in Mombasa - click here for previous story - while Burka is included in the team after the EAF technical committee reconsidered her appeal for selection.
Bekele’s u-turn delights EAF
The news that five-time double World Cross Country champion Kenenisa Bekele has changed his mind will boost the Ethiopian team’s chances in the senior men’s 12km race.
“We are absolutely delighted that he made the decision to run for the team,” commented EAF Technical Director Dube Julo. “This will definitely help our chances of regaining the senior men’s 12km title from Kenya. It will definitely strengthen the team.”
The older Bekele will now join his younger brother Tariku Bekele, reigning World Cross silver medallist Sileshi Sihine; Ethiopian 20km silver medallist Solomon Tsige; and trials’ winner Tadesse Tola in what looks like a formidable line-up.
Burka - recovered from injury and raring to go
After skipping the trials because of an ankle injury, World Cross short course champion Gelete Burka has now been included in the team based on her appeal for selection.
Burka, who was not in the original team of twenty-six released last week by the EAF - click here for previous story - has now been entered after making a successful recovery from injury.
“We have considered her application for inclusion in the team based on outstanding results over the cross country and her performance this year,” said Julo. “She is a talented runner and will help the team’s individual and team medal aspirations.”
Julo also added that EAF could add further reinforcements to the team in order to increase competitiveness for a final starting berth. “We will enter one athlete (more) per event later this week in order to help increase competitiveness in the squad,” he said. “We have come to realize that we need more reinforcements to tackle the heat in Mombasa and the strong competition from rival countries.”
This is the weakest ethiopian and kenyan team in a while. .so the eritreans have a good chance of making inroads.
Kenenisa should win this easily. The best case senario for Ethiopia is...
1 Kenenisa
3 Seleshi
5 Tariku
7 Tadesse Tola
13 Solomon T
15 Ketema
44.. this will not win us the team title. But the key is Dinkessa.. if he recovers and finishes top 10.. like 8th we could score 36.
Kenya 2 4 8 9 10 11 =44, i think the 5 and 6th runners for Kenya will pull this out for them!
I think the Eritreans and ugandans will struggle to go 6 deep?
there 5th and 6th guys will hurt them.