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Haile Gebrselassie will run the 29th
edition of the ING Amsterdam Marathon on 17 October. It will
be the Ethiopian's second start over the marathon distance.
Gebrselassie ran his first marathon in London two years ago,
finishing third in 2:06:35 behind Khalid Khannouchi (who set
a world record of 2:05:38) and Paul Tergat.
GEBRSELASSIE: "I'M STILL QUITE GOOD"
While it might be twilight time in Haile Gebrselassie's legendary
track career, the personable Ethiopian insists on looking
towards the future.
"Tomorrow will be my last track meet in Britain,"
said the two-time defending Olympic 10,000 meter champion,
who will contest the 5000 at Friday's Norwich Union Super
Grand Prix in London's Crystal Palace. "I feel so bad
when I say that kind of announcement. But don't worry,"
he added, sporting his wide, trademark grin, "I'll be
back in London for the London Marathon."
But before he shifts his complete attention to the roads,
Gebrselassie has one final track appearance on his schedule:
the men's 10,000 meter Olympic Final on Friday, August 20
in Athens.
There are two main differences, Gebrselassie said, between
this Olympic year and the previous two in which he emerged
victorious.
"When preparing for Atlanta and Sydney, I wasn't that
concerned about speed training. But this time, I'm trying
to concentrate more on speed. And regaining speed was difficult.
Especially after going to the marathon. But it is coming back."
Laughing he added, "Of course, it's not the same speed
I had five or six years ago."
A bigger difference is that this year, he's not even considered
a favorite. At last year's World Championships, Gebrselassie
was second to fellow-countryman Kenenisa Bekele. This season,
his heir apparent succeeded him as world record holder in
the 5000 and 10,000, and is widely regarded as the man to
beat.
"No, it will not be easy," he said, "But everyone
who comes to Olympics wants to win. If I would think that
Bekele will win, why would I come?"
As for losing his records, Gebrselassie, who has produced
an astounding 18 global standards himself, said, "No
one's happy when [world records] are gone, but this is nothing
new for me. The difference now is that it is very difficult
to prepare [for record attempts] in the 5 and 10. If I can
break world records in the half-marathon and marathon and
I lose them, it's not as difficult, at this point, to try
and break them again. In the 5 and 10, it's a different story."
Ever the diplomat, he added, "But the good thing is that
they still belong to Ethiopia."
Gebrselassie said the primary aim in Athens will be to duplicate
Ethiopia's dominating podium sweep from last year's World
Championships. The cast of characters - Gebrselassie, Bekele
and bronze medallist Sileshi Sihine-will be the same.
"When it's a championship, our first priority is just
for the country. Then comes the individual." But he wouldn't
entertain questions about what sort of tactics the trio may
engage, saying only that their strategy will be devised upon
arrival in Athens. "Saying that, and you writing it would
be dangerous to us!"
The trio train together in Ethiopia, a relationship Gebrselassie
describes as a "struggle" at times.
"When it's a speed program," he said with a laugh,
"you know I'm struggling. In endurance work, for me,
it's no so hard. Both of them are very strong. You see, I'm
struggling against other athletes, and against age. But,"
he quickly adds with yet another hearty laugh, "I'm still
quite good."
Perhaps ironically, he said that his training partners are
actually providing him with the incentive to continue in a
sport in which no major titles or honors have escaped him.
"If they were not there, I might have stopped by now,"
he said. "Those athletes --Kenenisa Bekele and Sileshi
Sihine-- they started running because of Haile Gebrselassie.
Now, I'm continuing because those athletes are coming up.
They started because of me, and I keep running because of
them. I was an example to them, now they are an example to
me."
As for his post-Athens plans, manager Jos Hermens indicated
his full-time road career might begin with a marathon as early
as this fall. "He wants to run a fast time, so we're
looking at either Chicago or Amsterdam."
Hermens said that his appearance in London was a struggle
of a different sort.
"It was a big fight with the [Ethiopian] federation just
for Haile to come here," he said, explaining the governing
body's strict policy that bans competition so close to the
Olympic Games. "But he had to come here. He hasn't raced
in two months, and he needed another one to test where he
is."
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