Kenyans beware: Tiru’s back
Tirunesh Dibaba after winning the Africa 10,000 metres title in Nairobi in 2010. “Tiru” is back after injury. PHOTO/ FILE | NATION
Madrid
Double Olympic champion Tirunesh Dibaba returned to racing after a long lay-off with a victory over the weekend.
The Ethiopian star won the 47th San Silvestre Vallecana road race in a close finish over the 10-kilometre road race in 31 minutes and 30 seconds over another top Ethiopian runner, Gelete Burka (31:30).
It was Dibaba’s first competitive race since August, 2010, and the start of her build-up to the London Olympics where she is expected to challenge the Vivian Cheruiyot-led Kenyan galaxy.
Third in the Madrid race was Briton Susan Partridge (32:44) and fourth was home star and 2009 world steeplechase champion, Marta Dominguez (32:49).
In the men’s 10km, the surprise winner was young Ethiopian Hagos Gebrehiwot (17 years old) in 27:57.
He also won a close final metres sprint over Eritrean World Cross Country Championships medallist Teklemariam Medhin (also 27:57).
European Cross Country Championships medallist Ayad Lamdassem was third (28:10) with more home stars following, Chema Martinez fourth (28:34) and Jesus Espana fifth (28:41).
