Meseret Defar of Ethiopia proved this in her own comeback which was so low-key she had made no racing plans whatsoever after her first race.
After running 8:30.83, a time only nine other women have ever bettered indoors, on Sunday evening in Boston, Defar already had her eye on another race in the USA next month.
With the World Indoor Championships returning to the USA for the first time in almost 30 years – the first edition was in Indianapolis in 1987 – the World Indoor Tour’s only stop in the USA sparked more mixed-zone discussion of the global championship than usual.
Defar, who has a remarkable four world indoor 3000m titles, immediately saw Portland as a natural next step for her comeback, and was practically itching to find races to sharpen her racing skills should she be selected for the Ethiopian team.
Boston’s runners were equally eager to race in Portland, particularly the large contingent from Eugene.
Eugene-based Andrew Wheating, an Olympian in 2008, is a visible presence in any indoor race due to his height, but he’s also been prominent in the results coming from the ‘House of Track’, the temporary facility set up in a Portland warehouse to test the systems and surface of the competition track.
After winning the 1000m in 2:18.68, Wheating’s question about racing in Portland was whether to try for selection at 800m or the 1500m.
Ethiopia’s Dejen Gebremeskel, who took world indoor bronze two years ago, didn’t have quite the same challenge, because his team won’t be selected through competition.
Gebremeskel hoped his winning time of 7:42.94 would assure his spot in Portland, but so far this season he’s only the third-fastest Ethiopian at 3000m and he might find himself looking for another chance to improve that mark.
Of the Ethiopians in Boston hoping to head to Portland, though, perhaps none were quite as confident as Dawit Seyaum.
Winner of the women’s 1500m in a world-leading 4:01.86, Seyaum beamed when Oregon was mentioned. Her previous visit to that state was to Eugene for the 2014 IAAF World Junior championships, where she won the 1500m.
Source: African News Agency (ANA)
