She broke into world athletics at the age of 15, finishing fifth in the World cross-country championships junior race in 2001. She is now the world record holder in the 5000 metres and the world champion in the 10,000 metres. But Tirunesh Dibaba does not have an Olympic title.
She has been named for both the long distance events in the Ethiopian team for the Beijing Games and looks set to win at least one gold medal.
Injuries and illness contributed to a below-par 2007. Yet, she won the world title in Osaka, despite suffering from abdominal pains. Was she going to be a case of early burn-out?
Tirunesh allayed fears about her form with her third World-country title this year and then set a world record of 14:11.15 for the 5000m at the Bislett Games in Oslo in June.
Since 2005, Tirunesh has been unbeaten in the 10,000 metres. But she only comes second best to countrywoman Meseret Defar in the 5000 metres. In Oslo, she bettered Defar’s one-year-old world record of 14:16.63.
Defar showed that she too was in great form by clocking the second best on the all-time chart, 14:12.88, while winning in Stockholm. You can expect a thrilling contest in Beijing if Dibaba does compete in the shorter distance.
K. P. Mohan
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