From: Essayas Fessahaye (essayasf@yahoo.com)
Date: Wed Mar 25 2009 - 15:48:31 EST
Zerisenay Tadese Looking for Mombassa’s Gold in Amman
Essayas Fessahaye (EAAA)
Zerisenay Tadese is unquestionably Eritrea’s symbol in athletics. World Cross Country Championships are his favorite field of competitions where he plied his trade as an athlete. In fact, as an amateur, his first international competition was Dublin’s World Cross Country Championships held in 2002. At that time, everything around him was strange, including his new running kits and shoes. He stood 30th in the competition.
In the following six cross country championships, however, Zerisenay lined up within the list of top 10 runners including his gold medal in Mombassa (2007), his silver medal in St Etinne-St Galmier (2005) and his bronze medal in Edinburgh (2008). Zerisenay’s 2007 emphatic triumph that defied all the odds in Mombassa’s toughest cross country competition made him stand as the best man for the world championship. Could history repeat itself on Saturday, 28th March 2009 at Amman World Cross Country Championships?
Zerisenay set out for the competition with his two younger brothers – Kidane and Merhawi - to Amman (Jordan) to take hold of his 2007 world title once again. Kidane will line up with his older brother in the senior competition for the third time consecutively. But Merhawi is yet to prove his talent in the junior competition under the shadow of his attention-grabbing brother.
It is to be recalled that Zerisenay is to take part in the competition after securing a hat-trick of World Road Running titles in Rio last October in 2008. Tomorrow’s IAAF World Cross Country Championships – Amman, Jordan will be Zerisenay’s first international competition of the year 2009. It will be followed by the April 26th Flora London Marathon. He will make his Marathon debut in the competition.
Senior Men 12km
Zerisenay Tadese
Samson Kiflemariam
Isack Sibhatu
Teclemariam Medhin
Samuel Tsegay
Kidane Tadese
Injury bedeviled Samson Kiflemariam and Zerisenay Tadese are the most experienced athletes in the senior 12km Eritrean team. Isack Sibhatu, Teclemariam Medhin, Kidane Tadese and Samuel Tsegay are expected to strengthen the team to a possible podium climbing performance. Isack Sibhatu is expected be a noteworthy young athlete. He was sixth in Mombassa.
Junior Men 8 km
Nasir Dawd
Merhawi Tadese
Gebrebrhan Tesfamariam
Mulue Andom
Abrham Tewolde
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