European Athletics (EAA) – News – French distance star Tahri reflects on his 10,000m debut

France’s European 3000m steeplechase record holder,  and also the 2010 European Athletics Championships 3000m steeplechase silver medallist, Bouabdellah Tahri had mixed feelings after his 10,000m debut on Sunday.

Tahri, who is also a former European Athletics Junior Championships 5000m gold medallist, ran 27:31.46 in California to  became the third fastest Frenchman ever.

However, he believes that Antonio Martins’ long-standing national record of 27:22.28, which has been on the books since 1992, could have been his if the race had been run a little differently.

“The time is consistent with what I hoped, since I thought I would be somewhere in the range between 27:20 and 27:40,” commented Tahri, in an interview with his local regional newspaper Le Républicain Lorrain.

“This was my first 10,000m and I had to take the lead in the middle of the race after the hare dropped out. I’ve never run in the front for 10 laps; the most I’ve done before, when I was the one the field was hunting, was three.

“Finishing twelfth is disappointing, and the way the race was run was disappointing, and the last five laps were difficult. It wasn’t due to lack of preparation, I’m just not used to how to race the distance, and this was a race with many fits and starts,” added Tahri.

“Nevertheless, this is still a very high level of performance, and the minimum for the Worlds and Olympics.”

Another point of pride, and another reason why Tahri has been big news within the Lorrain running community this week, is that he knocked almost 50 seconds off the previous regional record, which had stood for nearly 40 years to the formidable French international of the 60s and 70s Noel Tijou.

Tijou, who finished ninth at the 1969 European Athletics Championships in both the 5000m and 10,000m and had two top 10 finishes at the IAAF World Cross Country Championships, ran his best time of 28:19.2 on 23 July 1971 and it was to last as a French record for the next five years.

It was also one of the top times by a European runner but came just two weeks after Great Britain’s David Bedford had knocked 17.4 seconds off the existing European record and reduced it to 27:47.0.

Despite his excellent outing over 25 laps of the track, Tahri confirmed that he expects to continue being a steeplechaser at this summer’s World Championships in Daegu, South Korea, and next year’s Olympics

He still feels he can challenge the best in the world in his best-known event following his bronze medal at the last World Championships, two years ago, in Berlin.

European Athletics (EAA) – News