GERMAN ROAD RACES e.V.

The Meeting Pas de Calais is the last stop of the 2010 IAAF Indoor Permit season

Liévin, France - Kenenisa Bekele will appear for the first time ever in an indoor competition in France when he competes at the Meeting Pas de Calais in Liévin on Friday 5 March.

The Ethiopian, current holder of the fastest times ever indoors* at 2000m and 2 Miles and the indoor World record at 5000m (and outdoors at 5000m and 10,000m) has announced his intention to break the World Indoor 3000m record held by Kenyan Daniel Komen (7:24.90) since 1998. Liévin is proud to have been host to a list of approximately 50 World or Area records/bests broken since 1987.

The Meeting Pas de Calais is the last stop of the 2010 IAAF Indoor Permit season, and takes place exactly one week before IAAF World Indoor Championships begin in Doha, Qatar (12 – 14 March) and so will be used by many athletes in order to sharpen their form.

Bekele back from injury

Ethiopian star Kenenisa Bekele, a multiple Olympic or World champion, either indoor, outdoors or cross-country at distances ranging from 3000m to 12km, has delayed his attempt on the 3000m World Indoor Record, as two weeks he had to withdrawal from the Birmingham meet due to a calf injury.

Kenyan Daniel Komen, also owner of the 3000m World record outdoors (7:20.67 since 1996), broke the indoor mark (7:26.15 in Budapest in February 1998) held by the other Ethiopian legend Haile Gebrselassie. Since then, Komen’s 7:24.90 has resisted to all the assaults from Gebrselassie, who holds Liévin’s meeting record in 7:31.25 set in 1999. The task will be difficult for Bekele, 27, whose bests were set in 2007 with 7:30.51 indoors and 7:25.79 outdoors.

To help Bekele’s bid, Kenyan Vincent Rono, winner in Ghent with 7:47.60, will have to make the pace until 2000m in 2:57 at least. Also in the race, chasing the recent European record (7:32.41 set by Spanish Sergio Sanchez on 13 February in Valencia), will be 3000m Steeplechase World silver medallist Bouabdellah Tahri. The Frenchman seems to be capable of breaking that mark after his 7:33.73 national record on 10 February, which he followed with up a 5000m European record in 13:11.13 only four days later. Kenyan Daniel Kipchirchir Komen, whose 3000m reference, 7:37.47 in 2007 pales when compared to his 13:06.27 performance at 5000m which he produced on 3 February, is another name to watch.

Robles sharpen's up ahead of Trammell clash in Doha Full article at iaaf.org

News