
“I felt very good,” Defar said, beaming with an ear-to-ear grin, barely winded after her comfortable 8:48.23 victory in the second of two heats that opened competition on the track this afternoon. “I had no problems, none at all.”
The winner in Budapest, Moscow and Valencia and the World record holder at 8:23.72, Defar is not, surprisingly enough, the holder of the Championships record. That honour belongs to Dutchwoman Elly van Hulst who took the 1989 title in 8:33.82. Defar, who has clocked 8:24.46 this season, didn’t promise a fast race in the final, but didn’t discount one either.
“I don’t know right now,” she said, “but I will decide later when I talk about it with my friend.” She was referring to compatriot Setayehu Ejigu, who took a comfortable victory in the first heat.
A fourth straight title for Defar would break her current tie with Gabriela Szabo of Romania, who took home victories in 1995, 1997 and 1999.
“This meeting is very, very special for me,” said Defar, also the World record holder and this year’s world leader in the 5000m. “I want to do well and I’m very well prepared.”
Thanks largely to Jessica Augusto of Portugal who pushed the pace for more than two kilometres, Heat 2 was considerably faster than the first, with the four fastest on time also advancing.
Kenyan Silvia Kibet, who raced to 5000m silver at the World Championships last August, was second in 8:48.60, just ahead of Ethiopian-born Turk Alemitu Bekele, the European indoor champion in the event. Layes Abdullayeva, an 18-year-old Ethiopian born who represents Azerbaijan, nabbed the fourth automatic qualifier, clocking an 8:49.65 personal best.
Rewarded for her efforts, Augusto was fifth (8:50.81) and advanced on time, reaching the finish just ahead of American marathoner Desiree Davila who impressed with a personal best of 8:51.08. Last August the 27-year-old Davila finished 11th in the World Championships marathon in 2:27:53.
Poland’s Lidia Chojecka (8:51.14, SB) and Adrienne Herzog of The Netherlands (8:53.24, PB) will also move on.
The first heat went pretty much according to the pre-race play book, with no major podium contenders forfeiting their chances in Saturday’s final.
After running in mid-pack for most of the race, Defar’s compatriot Ejigu moved to the front with 400 metres to go, and into the lead for good at the bell. She crossed the line in 9:00.34, with Portugal’s Sara Moreira (9:01.01) and Kenyan Vivian Cheruiyot (9:01.35) following in second and third.
Rene Kalmer of South Africa wisely decided to sprint hard over the final 30 metres to secure the fourth and final automatic qualifying spot, which she nabbed from Briton Barbara Parker in 9:01.41, a national record.
Ejigu, who finished fourth at 3000m in the last World Indoor Championships and at 5000m in Berlin last year, is after more than just her first major international medal.
“Last year we lost to Kenya in Berlin,” Ejigu said, “and we are here to make sure this doesn’t happen again this time.”
Said Cheriuyot, who has beaten Defar twice in their last five meetings over 5000m, “I am prepared to run fast.” Her teammate Kibet also knows what’s on the line.
“In the final, we’ll work as a team with Vivian and try our best to beat the Ethiopians.”
Source: IAAF.org