NEW YORK: Olympic 5,000 and 10,000 meters champion Tirunesh Dibaba plans to repeat her golden double at the world athletics championships in Berlin next year.
“God willing, I hope to attempt it,” Dibaba told Reuters during a reception this week at the Ethiopian Embassy in Beijing.
Dibaba, 23, who completed the double at the 2005 Helsinki world championships also said she expects to marry Ethiopian teammate and fiancé Sileshi Sihine, the Olympic 10,000 meters silver medalist, within the year. “We haven’t settled on the month or date yet, but we’re thinking some time next year,” said Dibaba, referring to the Ethiopian calendar year which starts on Sept. 11, 2008.
Dibaba recorded the second-fastest time ever, 29 minutes 54.66 seconds, in winning the Beijing 10,000m before taking the 5,000 a week later in a slow 15:41.40.
“A race is more entertaining when it’s faster, but I was tired from running the 10,000m and I didn’t want to take the lead,” said Dibaba. “But I’m very happy I won.” Sihine said he was happier for Dibaba than he was for himself. “It greatly encourages her to work hard, and myself to work hard, to achieve better things,” he said. Dibaba has followed in the footsteps of her cousin Derartu Tulu, who became black Africa’s first female Olympic gold medalist when she won the 10,000m at the 1992 Barcelona Games. “I may not be quite like her, but I am working hard,” said Dibaba.
Dibaba and Kenenisa Bekele, who won the men’s 5,000-10,000 double in Beijing, were acclaimed by coach Miruts Yifter, who completed the same double at the 1980 Moscow Games. “When, 28 years later, Kenenisa and Tirunesh meet with the same great fortune I had, what else can I say but that it gives me limitless joy,” said Yifter. Ethiopia’s four gold medals in Beijing matched the nation’s previous best gold tally won at the 2000 Sydney Games. The two doubles were celebrated abroad and at home by jubilant Ethiopians who feted the athletes in Beijing and upon their subsequent return to Addis Ababa.
Beaten Olympian Vlasic aims
for Golden League lining
In Zurich, world high jump champion Blanka Vlasic said on Thursday that her Olympic silver medal disappointment would give her extra motivation to win a share of this season’s one million dollar Golden League jackpot.
Vlasic, 24, came a shock second behind Belgium’s Tia Hellebaut in Beijing after dominating her sport for the past two seasons but can still celebrate if she wins the final two Golden League meetings, in Zurich and Brussels a week later. The Croatian is one of only two athletes to have won at all four of the previous Golden League events, with Kenyan 800 meter Olympic champion Pamela Jelimo the only other contender for a share of the prize. “I don’t like to think of Friday as being about revenge,” said Vlasic ahead of a well-attended meeting that will see her line up against Hellebaut and eight other Beijing high jump finalists.
“I am honestly not thinking about the other girls at all because I am always just jumping against myself. I have moved on and put the bitterness of Beijing behind me — but what happened there will make me more eager to win my next competitions.” Vlasic said she had also taken comfort from the narrow margin of her Olympic defeat in which both women cleared 2.05 meters but with the Croatian needing one more attempt than Hellebaut.
“Every day I realize more and more that it was a great contest and nothing for me to be ashamed of,” said the towering 1.93-meter Vlasic, whose personal best stands at 2.07 meters.
“My season has already been special, winning almost every competition and with an even higher level of results than last year. Now I have a chance to win the Golden League jackpot and that is also a great motivation.
“I’m not thinking about the money at all, it would just be a privilege to be able to jump consistently all the way through the season. Not many athletes have done that and it would be something that is always remembered, like a great medal. But of course I know it is different.”
