From: Biniam Haile \(SWE\) (eritrea.lave@comhem.se)
Date: Fri Oct 09 2009 - 17:39:20 EDT
Times Online | News and Views from The Times and Sunday Times
Eritrea's Zersenay Tadese eyes 4th world title and record
Rick Broadbent, Athletics Correspondent
When Zersenay Tadese competed for the first time outside his native
Eritrea, he wore oversized footwear, which was a fitting beginning for a
man trying to fill some of the biggest shoes in running.
Whereas Haile Gebrselassie and Kenenisa Bekele, the Ethiopians, are
legends of the sport, Tadese's star is still on the rise. He may get
David Beckham-esque billing at home and start as favourite in Sunday's
EDF Energy World Half Marathon Championships in Birmingham, but the best
is yet to come.
The 27-year-old is going for a fourth successive title, but he has
bigger fish to fry in the long term. The half-marathon world record,
standing at 58min 59sec and owned by Sammy Wanjiru, of Kenya, is one
goal. So is stepping up to full marathon distance, which many sagacious
onlookers think will be his true metier.
Tadese's debut in the Flora London Marathon in April ended sourly when
he dropped out after 22 miles, but he looks more suited to the longer
races. An Olympic bronze medal at the 10,000 metres in 2004 is not to be
sniffed at, but he was forced to play second fiddle to Bekele at the
World Championships in Berlin this year.
Those wondering why British distance running remains a black hole may
note that Tadese used to run 17 miles to and from school every day. They
may be more intrigued to see how Dathan Ritzenhein has made such rapid
strides this year. The United States suffers from many of the same
problems as Britain, but the Michigan runner took 20 seconds off his
personal best in recording 12min 56.27sec to break the American 5,000
metres record in Zurich in August. If he continues in that vein, it is
conceivable that he will go close to the hour mark tomorrow.
With Paula Radcliffe absent through tonsillitis and Tomas Abyu, the
winner of the British trials, not taking up his place, the British
contingent is led by Claire Hallissey and Andrew Lemoncello.
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/more_sport/article6868432.ece
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