By John Mehaffey
LONDON (Reuters) – Ejegayehu Dibaba, the oldest of three
Ethiopian sisters who have all made their mark on the track, steps up to the
marathon for only the second time in London this Sunday.
Dibaba, 30, has been overshadowed by Tirunesh, a double
Olympic champion in Beijing, while a second sister Genzebe emerged this year to
win the world indoor 1,500 title in Istanbul.
Last year Ejegayehu clocked two hours 22 minutes nine
seconds while finishing second in the Chicago marathon, the third fastest debut
ever. It was also her first race beyond 10 kms.
On Wednesday Dibaba, whose best track performance was a
silver medal in the 2004 Olympic 10,000 metres final, said the sisters were
friendly rivals. The trio are cousins of twice Olympic 10,000 metres gold medallist
and 2001 London marathon champion Derartu Tulu
“I hope one day we will all be in a marathon,” Dibaba said.
Sunday’s race will also serve as a trial for the Kenyan
Olympic team, with five women competing for three places including defending
champion Mary Keitany.
“I will have to work extra hard on Sunday because I know it
will be my last chance to impress the selectors,” she said.
Germany’s twice champion Irina Mikitenko said the London
race often contained stronger fields than the world or European championships
which made it an ideal test for this year’s London Olympics.
“Just as in a championship, you have to be self-reliant,”
she said. “Something completely unexpected can happen and you have to radically
change your plans during the race. But I like that kind of challenge.”
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