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By Bob Ramsak
In her first track appearance in nearly a year, two-time world road running champion Lornah Kiplagat will be looking to punch her ticket to the Beijing Olympics at this Saturday’s 12th European Cup 10,000m in Istanbul, Turkey.
The 33-year-old Kenyan-born Dutchwoman bypassed an attempt to defend her World Cross Country title in Edinburgh last month, she said, to focus on this summer’s Olympic Games.
"Lornah is just trying to run the qualification time for Beijing and is not looking for a very fast time," said Kiplagat’s coach and husband, Pieter Langerhorst. “She needs to run, just like Hilda Kibet, 31:22.”
Kibet, Kiplagat’s cousin, also now represents The Netherlands after obtaining citizenship last year.
A year ago, Kiplagat’s focus was the 10,000m at the World Championships in Osaka, but a calf injury sustained in May was serious enough to curtail her training and sideline her from the event. She only raced once on the track last year, finishing sixth at in the 5000m at the FBK Games in Hengelo, The Netherlands, clocking 15:06.51.
"She trained well but is not in top shape," Langerhorst said. "She hasn't done speed work yet because it is very early in the season. The focus is Beijing."
Despite her stellar success on the roads, Kiplagat is still seeking her first international medal on the track. She was fifth at the 2004 Olympic Games in the 10,000m, and fourth at the 2003 World Championships, where she ran her career best 30:12.53 --the sixth fastest performance ever-- in what remains the deepest race ever contested. Her last appearance over the distance on the track came at the 2006 European Championships in Gothenburg, Sweden, where, after controlling the tempo from the outset, she finished fifth in 30:37.26 in what was the fastest and deepest race of that season.
While Kiplagat may not necessarily be gunning for the victory, Turkey’s Elvan Abeylegesse almost certainly will be.
The former World 5000m record holder and reigning World Championships silver medalist at 10,000m has won the European Cup title the past two years: in 2006, she clocked a national record of 30:21.67 --the fastest performance in the world that year-- in miserable conditions in Antalya, Turkey, and last year won by nearly 35 seconds in 31:25.15.
Besides Kibet, who will arrive in Istanbul on the heels of her solid fifth place finish at the World Cross Country Championships, Hungary's Road Race specialist Anikó Kálovics, and Portugal’s former Olympic champion Fernanda Ribeiro are also on the slate.
Vividly illustrating the recent trend in Europe, the men’s field will be considerably weaker. With injury sidelining provisional entrants Jose Rios and Ayad Lamdassem, fellow Spaniard Juan Carlos de la Ossa will be the only man on the start line who can boast sub-28 minute credentials.
Organizers have employed a quartet of Ethiopian runners to help pace competitors to Beijing qualifying standards. Gebo Burka and Tilahun Regassa will rabbit for the men, with Amane Gobena and Meseret Mengistu assisting the women.
For men, the Beijing 'A' standard is 27:50.00 and 'B' is 28:10.00; for women, the 'A' standard of 31:45.00 and 'B' is 32:20.00.
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