Haile Gebrselassie chasing another Olympic medal

Haile Gebrselassie chasing another Olympic medal


On a visit to Beijing four months ago Ethiopia’s Haile Gebrselassie decided he would skip the Olympic marathon. Environmental conditions, he reasoned, would inhibit his performance and so why bother competing if he would be at less than his best?

It was no easy decision. Gebrselassie is the world record holder in the distance having run 2 hours 4 minutes and 26 seconds in the 2007 Berlin marathon. Earlier this year he also ran the second fastest time in history (2:04:53) to win the Dubai Marathon.

Once, he told this journalist, that in the eyes of his countrymen he has accomplished nothing until he has duplicated the Olympic marathon victories of fellow Ethiopians Abebe Bikila and Mamo Wolde. His decision under the circumstances is astonishing.

So at the age of 35, the man known as “The Little Emperor” intends to tackle the 10,000m distance in Beijing, an event dominated by much younger men such as Kenenisa Bekele.

It was Bekele who supplanted Gebrselassie as the world’s best 5,000m and 10,000m runner at the 2001 IAAF World Championships in Edmonton, thus ending his world championship gold medal streak at four. Gebrselassie also won two Olympic 10,000m golds in Atlanta in 1996 and in Sydney four years later.

Up against a world class field

His quest for the 2008 Olympics began in Hengelo, Holland, on May 24 where he lined up against a world field including all the top Ethiopian 10,000m runners apart from Bekele, the reigning Olympic champion whose place in Beijing is assured barring injury.

“I felt fantastic really,” Gebrselassie said following his second place run, “There was a possibility to run much faster but the pace in the first half was very slow. The pacemakers were not so good. So I am OK. I was fine and I was good on the last lap.”

Sileshi Sihine, the 2004 Olympic silver medalist won the race in 26:50.53 with “Geb” a few steps behind at 26:51.20. That’s not bad for a marathon runner.

At the start of the bell lap they had been together with Kenya’s Eliud Kipchoge, the 2007 IAAF world championship 5,000m silver medalist but even he could not tolerate the blistering speed with which the Ethiopian duo finished.

“I think Kipchoge and Sihine they didn’t do a good job,” Gebrselassie says, “I have not done speed work and they should have run much faster. I don't understand why they were waiting for me (to make a move). I am coming from the marathon. I think they should have gone faster than me. Of course I prepared very seriously for the race to qualify for the Olympics. What can I say? I am OK.”

The man who manages Gebrselassie, Sihine and Bekele, the Dutchman Jos Hermens was delighted to see his friend run so well.

“He looked easy,” said Hermens, himself a 1976 Olympian in the 10,000m, “he can run a lot faster. It was very warm, about 25 degrees, and windy. I think Haile can run 26:30 or 26:40.”

That would be a fine performance. But Bekele’s world record is 26:17.53 and the 25-year-old is going to attempt to break it at the Prefontaine Classis in Eugene, Oregon, on June 8.

World track records are beyond Gebrselassie’s reach at this point in his career. And winning the Olympic gold, well, he would be fooling himself if he thought he could still match Bekele’s leg speed. But he wants to make the Olympic team and get on the podium one more time.

“Now it looks like I have a ticket for Bejing,” he says, “but it depends on my federation. My federation they could say no.
Now he must 'wait and see'

“What they told me was 'maybe there is a better athlete.’" I told them, ‘Come on. If there is a chance for me compete against them I am the one willing for a chance to qualify.’” Now I have to wait and see if someone else qualifies or runs a better time. We will see.”

There is still one major 10,000m race where Ethiopians will try to run fast enough to impress the selectors and that is the Prefontaine meet June 8. Hermens believes both Sihine and Bekele are safely on the team. The third position is still up for grabs but the Ethiopian head coach Dr Wolde Kostre is expected to send a younger athlete if he runs even one second faster than Haile.

Whether he makes the team or not Gebrselassie will likely run the Berlin Marathon September 28. It is one of the major marathons which pay a small fortune in appearance fees and prize money. First place in Dubai earlier this year was worth $250,000 US. But Gebrselassie certainly doesn’t need the money. On the track he could command upwards of $75,000 US a race in his golden days. For beating the world 10km road record in Doha in 2002 he won a $1 million US bonus. A long time adidas shoe contract has also been worth millions.

He has put his fortune to good use. He has built two public schools named after his mother, Shawanness Gebrselassie, whom he says did not receive an education but wanted her ten children to get one. He employs more than 600 people in a construction company which is run by his brother. They have built office towers, a cinema and are currently working on a 10 million Euros hotel project 300km outside Addis. And he offers free English classes to Ethiopian runners.
A popular nomination

Should he make the Olympics his will be a popular nomination. But he has no idea how he will fare. He doesn’t mention Kenenisa Bekele who smashed both his 5,000m and 10,000m world records but acknowledges it will be tough at his age to win a medal.

“The 10,000m is not an easy event. Beijing will be hard,” he admits quietly. “We will see. The 10,000m of course is a big event at the Olympics. It is possible for me to run like 26:35 or something like that.”

Immediately after Hengelo the jet-setting Gebrselassie, who is also a United Nations Goodwill Ambassador, flew across the Atlantic to attend an annual fundraising dinner for the Ethiopian Community in Washington, D.C. Less than 20 hours later he flew to Paris where he made himself available for a few select media. Then he was headed back to Addis to prepare for his next race, possibly a 5,000m in Milan to sharpen up for his Olympic Games appearance. He is preparing as if his place is assured even searching for an ideal training camp to base himself in the weeks leading up to the Olympics.

“I have to find a place to prepare for the Beijing Olympics that has similar weather to Beijing,” he adds. “I am looking. I haven't found a place yet. I don't know where I will go.”

While the pollution in Beijing has put him off the Olympic marathon this time he is seriously intent on running in the London 2012 Olympics. Asked if his age would be prohibitive -- he will be 39 -- he jokes, “What, Paul, do you think I am too old?”

He made his marathon debut six years ago in the London Marathon but has had difficulties in appearances there since. Doctors diagnosed asthma and pollen related allergies which are worse in London during the spring. He has politely declined offers from London Marathon organizers since.

“I want to run the London 2012 marathon,” he insists, “that will not be a big problem. For me I am not anymore like I was ten years ago. Because the problem I have right now (allergies) I think it’s changing. I have to accept that. And I must listen to my body, what is easy? What is possible? I need to avoid such problems like what happened and change when I have to.”

Older, wiser but does he have it in him to challenge for a medal in Beijing? Haile Gebrselassie has earned a reputation in proving critics wrong.