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01 September 2006
Addis Ababa, Ethiopia – Ethiopia’s World 5000m and 5000m champion Tirunesh Dibaba is within touching distance of a share of the IAAF Golden League Jackpot. The DKB-ISTAF Berlin, the final meeting of the series, takes place this Sunday (3 Sep) at the world famous 1936 Olympic stadium in the German capital.
“My objective this season was to break the World 5000m record in Oslo,” confirms Dibaba. “But after running a personal best in Oslo, a lot of Ethiopians both at home and in Norway encouraged me to run the entire Golden League series. They were saying that Kenenisa (Bekele) and I will would do the country proud and that lifted my confidence. When Kenenisa lost (out on the possibility of six wins when defeated in Oslo), I knew the pressure was on me to keep Ethiopian interests for six wins alive. I am still surprised when I reflect how my season has progressed.”
Dibaba has won further races in Paris, Rome, Zurich, and Brussels to remain in the hunt for a share of the entire $1 Million jackpot, while Bekele is limited to a possible share of half that prize.
IAAF GL Jackpot 2006 – who is set to win what!
“Throughout the last two months, I have heard stories that I was the most likely to fail,” Dibaba says. “But I believe in myself and my ability. I simply ignore such stories and comments.”
In particular, Dibaba has fond memories of her race in Paris where she says, “I returned from the dead…. I had my tactics all wrong that day,” she says. “At the bell, Meseret (Defar), Berhane (Adere), and Gelete (Burka) all ran past me and it was God’s will more than anything that saved me that day. I would have regretted taking part if I had lost that day.”
Defar is like a sister to her
The race in Paris was the first and the most thrilling of the many Dibaba versus Defar battles over 5000m of the year, but in Dibaba’s words it was “the most difficult race of my career. We are both in top condition this season. We are not enemies as people may think. We are very good friends off the track. She is like a sister to me.”
Dibaba beat Defar, the Olympic 5000m champion and World record holder, the following week in Rome, but lost in spectacular fashion to her compatriot at the African Championships in Mauritius.
“Four days before the competition, I was sick with food poisoning. At first, I did not want me to go and agreed to travel to Mauritius only as an Ambassador to help Ethiopia’s bid to stage a future African championship. But when I reached there I was coerced to compete and was on medication when I entered the race.”
No possibility of an easy run in Berlin
The 20-year old had to wait until the Memorial Van Damme meet last Friday in Brussels to avenge her only loss of the track season this year, but claims that her three-second victory over Defar was not easily achieved compared to their previous head-to-heads. “Meseret (Defar) was going for the World record in Brussels (which she already holds). I had to destabilise her racing plans by varying the pace before kicking in the last lap. It was a different kind of a race compared to the others, but it was not easiest.”
Berlin will mark a historic twentieth meeting between the two Ethiopians with Defar still holding a slight eleven-to-eight advantage in their head-to-head encounters. And Dibaba laughs off suggestions that she might give Defar a phone call and ask a favour for a slower race on Sunday.
“I will never do it and even if I did, I am sure Meseret would never agree to any deal. I travel to win and so will she. There will be no shortcuts. When I run against Meseret, we wait and watch each other for eleven and half laps. All that counts is the last lap. The best runner in the last lap will win the race.”
Although Dibaba stands the chance to become one of the highest paid athletes in Ethiopian athletics history after Sunday, she says the money comes secondary to the fame.
“I am doing it for my name and my image. I did not know anything about how the Jackpot would be divided before hearing our coach [Tolosa Kotu] on TV explaining about the format. I am not going through all this trouble for the money. I am doing it for fame.”
World Athletics Final, and possibly World Cup too
Dibaba’s busy season is expected to continue after Berlin with appearances in the IAAF World Athletics Final in Stuttgart and possibly the IAAF World Cup in Athens where she has been named as a reserve for Africa. “I have not decided which distances to run in both competitions,” she confirms.
She also hopes to cap her memorable year with the female IAAF World Athlete of the Year award but admits that there are no clear favourites this year. “Anyone of us can win the race,” she says. “I felt last year that I should have won the award, but it didn't happen. I am hopeful that I can win the award this year.”