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ETHIOPIA: WORLD RECORD HOLDER VYING FOR THIRD SUCCESSIVE IN 10,000 METERS IN OLYMPICS August 27, 2007
(SomaliNet) Ethiopian world record holder Kenenisa Bekele will bid for a third successive 10,000 metres title in the world championships on Monday.
The women's 100 metres crown also will be on the line on the third day of the nine-day championships.
Bekele would move into exclusive company with a victory. Only compatriot Haile Gebrselassie, with four 10,000 metres gold medals, has won more championships in the event.
Sweltering heat and high humidity are expected to slow times.
Bekele dropped out of the world cross country championships 12,000 metres race in similar conditions in Mombasa, Kenya, in March.
The title went to Eritrea's Zersenay Tadesse, who along with double world 10,000 metres silver medallist Sileshi Sihine of Ethiopia, is expected to be Bekele's biggest challenger.
Sihine has the year's fastest time at 26:48.73.
All the favourites eased through the opening two rounds of the women's 100 metres, with Jamaican Veronica Campbell clocking the fastest time of 11.08 seconds.
Americans Torri Edwards and defending champion Lauryn Williams were
among the other qualifiers for the semi-finals.
Finals also are taking place for the men's hammer throw, women's 3,000 metres steeplechase and men's triple jump.
Belarus's Ivan Tikhon seeks his third consecutive title in the hammer but will need a big improvement on his qualifying throw of 77.75 metres on Sunday.
Slovak Libor Charfreitag topped qualifying with a toss of 80.61 metres. No one has ever won more than two championships in the event. American Walter Davis is the defending champion in the triple jump.
The 2005 women's steeplechase winner, Dorcus Inzikuru of Uganda, is not defending her world title.-Reuters