When Tirunesh Dibaba took a break from Athletics for a childbirth, she wouldn’t have envisaged coming back and playing second fiddle to her countrywoman, Almaz Ayana who has been dominant in her absence.
Both Ethiopians will square up in the women’s 10,000m at the Rio 2016 Olympics and it will be somewhat of a new against the old order to see who will come out tops.
For Dibaba, she isn’t new to this terrain, having won back to back GOLD medals in the 10000m in 2008 and 2012. What will worry her is the dominance Ayana is exuding at the moment on the track.
Ever since Ayana left Steeplechase in 2014 to compete in the 5000m, she’s arguably been undisputed world number one in that distance, coming close on many occasions to breaking Dibaba’s World Record (WR) of 14:11.15. Ayana has the 2nd and 4th fastest time in history in the 5000m, running an astonishing 14:12.59 to win in Rome this season.
However they will both not meet in the 5000m in Rio, because Dibaba has only been named as a reserve, but they will clash in the 10000m with Ayana trying to emulate the experienced Dibaba in doing the double like she did in 2008.
So who will beat the other? Ayana wants the double, but Dibaba wants the 10000m which is her only in event in Rio. Both athletes will give everything in the race and it will be the perfect marker to determine which Ethiopian lady will be crowned queen of the long distance races.
Don’t forget that the very first time these two met this year at a meet in Hengelo, Ayana ran the fastest time ever recorded in a debut for the 10,000m, clocking a World Lead (WL) of 30:07.00. Dibaba finished 3rd in that race and almost 20s behind Ayana in 30:28.53.
So is revenge on the cards? Dibaba is the defending 10,000m champion and holds the Olympic Record (OR) of 29:54.66 and will be buoyed to defend her title, but Ayana is no green horn.
In Dibaba’s absence, Ayana surpassed her Championship Record an stormed to a new one of 14:26.83, completely outrunning Tirunesh’s younger sister, Genzebe who finished a distant 3rd in 14:44.14.
While form favours Ayana to pip Dibaba, experience counts for the latter as she aims for a triple-triple as she will literally be putting all her eggs in this race.
The race could go either way, maybe Dibaba’s OR or Wang Junxia’s WR of 29:31.78 could finally go.
