ADDIS ABEBA – Ethiopia’s Yomif Kejelcha smashed the world indoor record for the mile, clocking 3:47.01 at the Bruce Lehane Invitational in Boston, Massachusetts. Now the main question is that will he make this excellence in the World Athletics Championship that is set to take place in August this year? If the past has any guide it sounds that he will make it. In just three weeks’ time he showed strength one after the other.
It was third time lucky for the 21-yearold, having narrowly missed out on breaking world indoor records in his two previous races. He finished just 0.01 outside of the world indoor mile record at the Millrose Games, clocking 3:48.46, and was then beaten to the world indoor 1500m record in Birmingham one week later when compatriot Samuel Tefera won in 3:31.04.
In Boston, Yomif had set himself the target of breaking the world indoor records for both the 1500m and the mile in the same race. He followed three different pacemakers for the opening laps and passed through 809m in 1:52. Worried the pace wasn’t quick enough, he moved past the final pacemaker about two minutes into the race and was then out in front alone. He was inside 2:51 with two laps remaining and kept up his swift pace for the last 400 meters.
The clock had already ticked over to 3:31 by the time he passed the 1500m checkpoint, but he – and the eager fans – would have to wait until after the race to find out his official split. His immediate concern was reaching the finish line of the mile. Yomif’s mile time is also an outright Ethiopian record, bettering the outdoor mark of 3:48.60 set by Aman Wote. Running behind three pacemakers, Yomif passed 809m in 1:52. He went on to hit the bell with 3:18.54 on the clock and ran a 28.47 last lap to eventually take 1.44 seconds off the previous world indoor record set by El Guerrouj in 1997.
Ethiopia’s teenager Samuel Tefera set a new 1, 500 metres indoor world record in Birmingham on Saturday as he broke a mark that had stood for more than 20 years. Well, for Ethiopia getting a place in the medal list may not be that difficult. We have another hopeful, teenager Samuel Tefera who set a new 1, 500 metres indoor world record in Birmingham as he broke a mark that had stood for more than 20 years. The combination of the two young Ethiopian athletes is highly likely to make history in this big international meets.
Herald March 12/2019
BY SOLOMON BEKELE
