PRESSURE ON GEBRSELASSIE AFTER ETHIOPIANS DOMINATE STANDARD CHARTERED DUBAI MARATHON – By David Martin

Haile Gebrselassie faces a massive challenge if he is to be selected for Ethiopia's 2012 Olympic Games team after fabulous performances from three of his fellow countrymen at the Standard Chartered Dubai Marathon on Friday.   

Ayele Abshero made  the world's fastest ever winning debut with a  time of two hours four minutes 23 seconds, with Dino Sefir and Markos Geneti following him home with personal bests of 2:04:50 and 2:04:54.
 
Their clean sweep of the podium positions will make it imperative that Gebrselassie who dropped out of the BMW Berlin Marathon last autumn in his last outing will have to bounce back with a very fast display in next month's Tokyo International Marathon.
 
Abshero the 2009 IAAF World junior cross country champion inserted a burst of pace around 40 kilometres which carried him to an emphatic victory ahead of his colleagues and more importantly Kenya athletes who dominated big marathon races last year.
 
“I thought I could run 2.04 today but it’s hard to plan for your first marathon, really I just didn’t know what was going to happen," said the 21-year-old after moving to fourth position on the World All-Time list when smashing Gebrselassie's course record by 30 seconds. 
 
"But I’m very happy. I’m now the number one in Ethiopia, and I think it could be the Olympic Games for me”.
 
Asefelech Mergia the 2011 Bupa Great South Run champion defended her women's title but only after a great battle with Lucy Kabuu whoi claimed last year's Bupa Great North Run and Bupa Great Edinburgh Run crowns.
 
Mergia won a tense contest in confident style with an Ethiopian and course record clocking of 2:19:31, finishing only three seconds of her Kenyan rival who will happy with her very fast debut time while Mare Dibaba of Ethiopia was third with a  PB 2.19.52.
 
“I know the course, so I felt confident. I prepared well and I’m delighted with 2.19. I’m now the best Ethiopian, and with a time like that, I hope to be selected for the Olympic Games,” said Mergia after her second successive win in the world's richest marathon.

David Martin