Chekwel calm ahead of Dibaba, Chebet test

By Norman Katende in Moscow

World Athletics Championships

Women 10000m (8.05 pm)

UGANDA’S Juliet Chekwel will have to keep calm when she comes up against a field of experienced runners in the women 10000m event. Action starts today at 8.05pm at Luzhiniki stadium here in Moscow.

The World Championships debutant will be taking on two time World and Olympic 10000m champion Tirunesh Dibaba, one of only five women in the world to have run below 30 minutes before.

Dibaba will be teaming up with another Ethiopian Ababel Yeshaneh and Balaynesh Oljira, whose time of 30 minutes is still far fast as compared to Chekwel (33:50.75) the slowest in the lot of 19 runners.

The duo, together with two time African champion Gladys Cherono from Kenya and her country mate Emily Chebet, a two time World Cross Country champion will be the favourite to in the race.

However, Chekwel who will have to battle alone with her only previous experience being taking part in two World Cross Country championships, finishing 22nd (Punta Umbria 2011) and 9th (Bydgoszcz 2013), will be looking at trying to keep up with the front runners so that she at least shares part of the cash prize for the top eight runners.

The 23-year-old, who is making her international debut in the 10000m, has been competing in the middle distance races of 800m and 1500m.

Her coach Benjamin Longiros said that they had tried to talk to her and advised that she has nothing to lose.

“What we have told her is that she is new in the race and let her go out and enjoy herself. I am just praying that she improves on her personal best,” said Longiross.

Chekwel qualified for the 10000m event after she finished 9th in the World Cross Country championships, which was a group A qualifying mark.