20 July 2009

DOUBLE Olympic champion Tirunesh Dibaba will run over 5,000m at the Aviva London Grand Prix in Crystal Palace next weekend as she takes to the track one final time before the World Championships in Berlin.

Already a four-time World champion, the Ethiopian made history at the Olympic Games in Beijing last year when she became the first female athlete to win both the 5,000m and 10,000m.

Dibaba has only had one outing on the track so far this season, finishing second behind Kenya’s World cross country silver medallist, Linet Masai in New York back in May. That race followed a lay-off of six months over the winter, and now Dibaba can’t wait to get out and show the world what she is capable of just before heading out to Germany.

The race on Saturday 25 July will be only the second time Dibaba has competed in London – the first being three years ago when she set a still standing personal best of 8:29.55 minutes to win the 3000m.

Dibaba said: “I ran very well the last time I was in London and I enjoy running here very much. The Aviva London Grand Prix is important for me as a final test before the World Championships. I hope to give everyone a preview of Berlin.”

Dibaba holds the world record for the 5,000m – both indoors and out – having clocked 14:11.15 in Oslo last year. Now the 24-year-old looks set lower that mark once more as she looks to add to her tally of major international medals, which includes 5,000m World Championship gold from 2003 and 2005, and 10,000m gold from 2005 and 2007.

 “This will only be my second race this season and I want to do my best to run a fast time before the World Championships,” she added.

Tickets for the Aviva London Grand Prix at Crystal Palace, London on Friday 24th and Saturday 25th July are available by phone on 08000 556 056 or online at www.uka.org.uk