Wanjiru makes Olympics qualifying standard

Dubai: Veronica Nyaruai Wanjiru was the star of the evening as she set the second fastest 5,000-metre time this year to make the qualifying standard for the London Olympics.

The Kenyan was one of seven athletes to make the grade at the Asian Athletic Federation Dubai Permit Meet held on Friday.

But the Nairobi-based runner and the others will still have to come through their respective national trials to make the plane to London.

"That's the secret about being a long distance runner in Kenya," Wanjiru said after positing a time of 15 minutes, 17.41 seconds — well inside the A standard qualifying time of 15:20.

"I won't be the only one having such a time. There will be another 15 or 20 women who will also be doing good times so that they too have a chance of making it to London as part of the Kenyan squad to the Olympics."

Wanjiru was one of 40-odd athletes at the Dubai Police Officers Club who were attempting to qualify for London.

Have started out as a 1,500 metres runner, Wanjiru switched distances after taking 18 months off the track to have her first baby.

The 23-year-old ran a well-paced race, breaking away at the half-way mark and never looking back.

Wanjiru's pace was so quick that the Ethiopian pair of Tadelech Bekele Alemu and Tiblet Diriba Hayu beat the B standard of 15:30 with times of 15:28.27 and 15:29.62.

Egypt's Hammada Mohammad had earlier set the tone for the evening when he ran 1:46.31 to win the men's 800 metres and beat the B standard time.

"I am over the moon," he told media after taking the tape ahead of Toafik Hakhloufi of Algeria (1:46.811) and Abu Dhabi-born Mukhtar Mohammad (1:47.368), who represents the UK.

All out

"My next destination is the African Athletics Championships in June where I will go all out for the A Standard time [1:45.60]."

The Ethiopian trio of Dawit Wolde Arega, Baisa Ktesa Moleta and Shiferaw Wola Gende also ran excellent races in the men's 1,500 metres. With the B Standard time set at 3:38.00, all three just made the mark.

In the women's 1,500 metres, Ethiopia's Feyne Gudeto won the race, but fell agonisingly short of the B Standard time of 4:08.90. The Ethiopian clean sweep was complete with Buze Diriba second and Alem Gebre Egzabaer third.