Selemon Barega wins 3000m thriller in Madrid
Athrilling 3000m victory by Olympic champion Selemon Barega over a formidable Spanish duo and his Ethiopian teammates proved the most captivating contest at the Villa de Madrid, the final World Athletics Indoor Tour Gold meeting of 2022, on Wednesday. The noise inside the Centro Deportivo Municipal Gallur reached a crescendo midway through the penultimate lap of the 15-lap event as Spain’s Mohamed Katir twice tried to overtake Barega, but in the end, just as it was over 10,000m in Tokyo, Selemon Barega was too strong for everyone. After two recent losses over 3000m, the big-kicking 22-year-old re-asserted his supremacy with a catch-meif-you-can performance filled with courage and class. With Katir and his Spanish compatriot Adel Mechaal – who recently set a European record of 7:30.82 – in the field, there were high hopes of a home victory. Katir seemed intent on delivering it, taking up pole position behind the pacers as they passed 1000m in 2:31.67, with Barega then seizing command shortly after they had stepped aside, passing 2000m out front in 5:05.32. From there he relinquished the lead, and after fending off Katir he repelled the late charge of his compatriot Lamecha Girma, hitting the line in a meeting record of 7:34.03. Girma’s runner-up finish in 7:34.09 secured him the overall tour victory and a wild card entry for this month’s World Athletics Indoor Championships Belgrade. Mechaal edged Katir for third, 7:35.26 to 7:35.73. “After two times being second without any elite speed training, this week I was targeting a push from 150 metres out,” said Barega. “The altitude (657m) is difficult here so I decided maybe it was not the time to run fast. After the Olympics it was just easy training, but I put in a hard month of training and the target now is to become world champion.”
Barega said he hopes to double in Belgrade over 1500m and 3000m if allowed by his federation.
Ethiopian football record champions St George four year trophy draught appears to come to an end following the league season first round incredible performance. St George tops the league table three points clear of second place Wolayeta Dicha. The first round only unbeaten side, scoring 24 goals while conceding only six and an amazing five consecutive clean sheets, St George is the most accomplished side taking the driver's seat with 31 points from eight wins and seven draws.
A hard to beat goalkeeper, a strong defense an industrious midfield and a deadly strike force, it appears up to the club to lose the title rather than it's adversaries efforts. Maybe considered the surprise package of the first round Wolayeta Dicha is second in the roaster with 28 points from eight wins, four draws and three defeats. Tsegaye K/ Mariam at the helm Dicha is considered the major title contender next to fourth place Fasil Ketema currently in some sloppy forms. Hawassa Ketema under head coach Zeray Mulu appeared to be in strong title contention sitting just four points behind the leaders. Defending champions Fasil Ketema is still the strongest title contender despite camping fourth in the table five points behind the current league leaders. Resigning their former striker Mujib Kasim back from Algeria, Fasil is expected to be the strongest contender to retain the title. Just six points behind the leaders Sidama Bunna joined the top five teams battling for the title. Gebremedin Haile who led Abajifar and Mekele Ketema to championship title has a potential to turn around Sidama Bunna to one of the title contenders.