KENYA: Bekele aiming for sixth World Cross Country title

IAAF president is happy about security arrangements as Ethiopia's five-time world cross country champion Kenenisa Bekele said he would be happy to break the world record in Kenya on Saturday, although he said the conditions would be very difficult. Ethiopia's five-time double world cross country champion Kenenisa Bekele said he would be happy to break the world record in Kenya on Saturday, although he said the conditions would be very difficult. On fears of security, IAAF president Lamine Diack said he was happy with the security arrangements. "We all know that there has been many challenges about security and we are deeply appreciate the serious efforts that has been made to ensure all those taking part in these competition enjoy the nations hospitability and calm environment." said Lamine Diack at a news conference in Mombasa on Friday (March 23). Bekele urged Kenyans to see his change of mind to run in their country as an expression of respect and friendship to his Kenyan rivals. Bekele said last year he would not be running in Kenya because there was nothing more to win in cross country. "The more I thought about it I realized that it was at this competition that I achieved fame and its also to this competition that my fans come to watch me and I also that my country has achieved a lot of fame as a result of my achievement in this competition therefore I decided that as long as am able to run, then why would I miss this one and that's why I decided to come." Bekele told reporters at a pre-race news conference on the eve of the World Cross Country Championships in this Kenyan Indian Ocean port city. Kenyans John Ngugi and Paul Tergat have each won the senior men's 12km race five times. The Ethiopian Olympic and world 10,000m champion has won both 4km and 12km men's race since 2002 in Dublin. Bekele regretted that the short course race, which was introduced in 1998 in Marrakech, Morocco, has been dropped from the world cross country championships programme, saying it would have enabled him to win another sixth straight title. "Ït really haven't changed much, its true that I became known for running the double and am a little disappointed that the second race is no longer here, it was a very good set up, this will not affect my performance however I do wish if there were both races they would have given me a chance to test myself and a chance to attempt another double." the Ethiopian, widely regarded the best distance athlete after two-time 10,000m Olympics champion, Haile Gebrselassie, said. Bekele and Kenyan-born Dutch athlete Lornah Kiplagat said the humid weather that soared to 36 degrees celcius on Friday would make the championships very difficult.

ITN Source | March 24, 2007

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