Kenenisa Bekele, the soft-spoken Ethiopian who has set the track alight with some phenomenal performances this year, is set to roar again tonight just days after being named 2005 IAAF Athlete of the Year for the second time.
The 23-year-old long-distance runner, who won gold at the Athens Olympics in the 10,000 metres and currently holds the world record in his pet event, is making his first appearance in China. He said he was ready to run a good race in the 3,000 metres tonight. 'China is a big and fascinating country and I want to show all the people what I can do. I am going to run a fast time,' said Bekele, who was also the Athens Olympic silver medallist in the 5,000m.
The diminutive Ethiopian won gold in the 10,000m at last month's world championships in Helsinki, where he stunned the opposition with a brilliant last 200m burst.
'I am very happy to be here. I want to run a good time with the other athletes, but it's not easy to win the race. I arrived only last night after a 13-hour flight. That shouldn't affect my performance. I am used to it because as an athlete I have to travel all the time.'
He will compete in a 13-man field tonight that includes his younger bother, Tariku Bekele, who is emerging as one his biggest rivals. 'I am happy my brother is competing with me. He was a good pacemaker before and now he has improved as a runner and he wants to be the best too. I will have to be on the look out for him,' he said.