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| EXCLUSIVE: Injured Tirunesh doubtful for Berlin double |
Monday Aug 10, 2009 - Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
10 August 2009- Ethiopian double Olympic 5000m and 10000m champion Tirunesh Dibaba’s chances of competing in the 12th IAAF World Championships in Berlin, Germany are doubtful after she aggravated a leg injury in training last week.
Sources close to the team told www.ethioberlin2009.com on Monday that Tirunesh dropped out of training on Friday and was in serious pain before she was taken to hospital for an MRI and was flown to Germany over the weekend for further treatment.
Tirunesh is currently in Germany for treatment and team officials will only decide the faith of her participation on Thursday based on the results of her treatment in Munich.
Team officials approached by www.ethioberlin2009.com declined from commenting on the situation, but our sources rate her chances of taking part in the championships as “50-50”.
Tirunesh, who is a two-time world 5000m and 10000m title and the defending champion in the longer event, was slated to compete in both the 5000m and 10000m in the German capital. If she does not recover in time for the women’s 10000m final on Saturday, team officials have already lined up national 10000m champion Aberu Kebede as a replacement, while Tirunesh’s younger sister Genzebe could be slotted in for the women’s 5000m.
The 23-year old has endured a difficult 2009 due to injuries. After recovering from the excursions of a month-long wedding ceremony and lined up indoor races in Boston and Birmingham, Tirunesh was forced to withdraw from both meets after a sheen injury only weeks after returning to training.
She had made a successful recovery in preparation for the outdoor season, but pulled out of a scheduled clash with fellow Ethiopian Meseret Defar in Oslo after the same injury resurfaced in training in June.
Tirunesh is the most successful Ethiopian woman in world championship history and the only male or female to win a world championship 5000m/10000m double. |
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