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"It is amazing. Dibaba has done it again coming from
behind. It is incredible," yelled the commentator
who was closely following the events of the women's
10,000m race at the 11th IAAF championship in Osaka,
Japan. He was amazed by Tirunesh Dibaba's
performance, especially her coming back to the race
after indecisive withdrawal; so much so that he was
evidently groping for the right words to say.
He remained speechless for a moment or two as if he
was carried away by the exhilarating performance
unfolding before his eyes. I stood up unknowingly to
watch the final lap after the bell. Somebody was
yelling with excitement and rejoice beside me.
Tirunesh gave everything she had to win the race and
billions have watched that phenomenal endurance
which has now become an Ethiopian culture to the
extent of developing a sense of complacency in some
corners taking victories for granted.
The way Tirunesh won the gold medal is a tribute to
be remembered in the years to come. Earnestly
speaking, it was not the gold medal that mattered as
much as her perseverance and commitment to advance
the torch of responsibility to the end. Tirunesh was
the only Ethiopian athlete in the leading pack; her
dedication made all the difference. That was the
first gold medal to Ethiopia's credit in Osaka
followed by Kenenisa's second gold medal.
Someone tried to liken the fate with Ethiopia's
history in the march of time; the country had better
days centuries back. Maybe it will have its
renaissance in the years to come, in the new
Millennium.
Tiruye, as she is amicably called, was clearly
suffering from a stomach ailment such that her
withdrawal from her odyssey seemed inevitable. She
was trailing some distance behind the first pack
when she was sidelined to the hydration station to
sip some water. This was a cost to her in terms of
several metres, but she was a power to reckon with.
She collected every bit of her remaining energy,
endured the pains and steadfastly rejoined the pack.
That was when she put life back into the suspense
and tension. As she progressed forward it was clear
she was determined to make it.
Make it she did.
When she touched the ribbon on the finishing line,
Ethiopia was set alight with ecstasy and utmost joy.
The tri-colour was once again flying high in sweet
victory and legendary glory. Beijing seemed not too
far away. I hope to see tears of joy down the cheeks
of Tirunesh then.
Looking at Tirunesh, we could see that she was
suppressing some kind of agony and purposely picked
the tri-colour and held it up as an expression of
the cause of dedication to withstand her ordeals and
win the race. I was really touched by that gesture
till my eyes were filled with tears and a tremor of
ecstasy ran down my spine.
Earlier in the day I was listening to a radio show
hosting athletes and trainers, as well as conducting
phone-in interventions. Comments were made on the
performance of Ethiopian marathon runners who
performed poorly at the Osaka IAAF Championships.
Most of the allegations circled around the
federation's inability to produce new athletes.
Some participants believe that just because Ethiopia
has won the marathon a couple of times over the last
50 or so years, any marathon or long distance race
is an exclusive right of Ethiopia. Others think that
this is a wrong premise to start with.
With the advantage of hindsight and the history of
marathon results in international competitions over
the years, some people argue that the emotional
allegations do not hold any water. Concluding that
new and young athletes can win the marathon is
presumptuous and an excluding statement to say the
least.
Abebe Bikila was 28 and 32 years old respectively
when he won his first and second marathon in Rome
and Tokyo Olympics. He was a seasoned athlete. One
can say that again with respect to Mamo Wolde and
others. Come begging and we would be able to witness
Haile G. Selassie make a final history crowning all
his victories and records achieved so far by winning
the marathon.
"You cannot make an able athlete out of any body
that wears the green and red jersey anf hits the
track just like you pick something from the shelf of
a store. Inherent talent is essential. The new
athletes get the training and show acceptable
results that qualifies them for the competition. But
when they are put to the real test they fail. What
are the trainers expected to do apart from giving
them the necessary training?" said an observer.
Haile stood 14th in the Osaka Marathon last week at
the start of the 11th IAAF championship. Running and
finishing the 42Km distance under hot and humid
conditions is not a joke. According to reliable
sources, the temperature was varying between 80 and
93 degrees Fahrenheit, while humidity was 68pc.
Normally hydration stations are placed every five
kilometres. At Osaka these stations were placed
every 2.5Km. Most runners were running carrying
their water and sipping. Ethiopian athletes should
be applauded even to finish the race.
Some participants try to draw a comparison between
Kenyans and Ethiopian athletes notwithstanding the
differences in facilities and numbers of runners.
That may not be fair.
Ever since Derartu Tulu won the Barcelona 10,000m,
Ethiopian women athletes achieved success. I have
said something about Tirunesh. At the time of
writing this article I had known Meseret Defar,
Messelech Melkamu and Gelete Burka have qualified
for the final women's 5,000 meters. I have not the
slightest doubt that they will gloriously win the
race. I would also have my money on Tariku Bekele
for the same distance. Good Luck!!! |
