Genzebe Dibaba

Genzebe Dibaba Keneni is an Ethiopian middle- and long-distance runner. Quotes I don’t really expect to be greater than her. But I’d like to be as great as her, That’s my hope. To be as good as her. I don’t really look for more. And when Genzebe took more than three seconds off the world indoor 1500m record in Karlsruhe, it was no surprise to Tirunesh. The first thing that Tirunesh said to me when she called after the world record was: ‘based on the way you were training, I knew you were going to break it’. As a kid I didn’t really imagine that I would see a lot of things or places. I have to say that I really love being in this because athletics allowed me to experience life in a truly wonderful way. Keeping up with the Dibabas, April 15 2014 This year was the best year for me. The indoor season was the best of my career so far when I broke three world records. Now I have two goals for the 2015 indoor season. I am preparing myself to break the 5000m world indoor record in Stockholm and then run the mile in Birmingham. But my main goal this year is not more records, but only to win the gold medal at the World Championships where I will run 5000m. It is an honour, Tirunesh has already won three times so it is great for me to be here. I don’t know what’s going to happen tomorrow. We will see, but I hope to win. It is difficult to compare myself with Tirunesh. She’s so strong and has won so many championships. I felt my back when I was training so that was a problem and why my season was not as good outdoors as it was indoors. Usually, it is not difficult to change from indoors to outdoors. I find outdoors easier than indoors but I am more interested in indoor athletics. I prefer it because it is hotter indoors and I like the shorter laps. Yes, it’s good, We don’t walk outside much at home, we go to training by car so we don’t see people too often; but sometimes, when we go out, people ask us to sign things and for photographs. It’s a good feeling. Well, not yet, But maybe in the future we will have a Dibaba running club. It’s a good idea. Monaco press points – Genzebe Dibaba, November 20 2014 Usually, it is not difficult to change from indoors to outdoors, I find outdoors easier than indoors but I am more interested in indoor athletics. I prefer it because it is hotter indoors and I like the shorter laps. But last year I felt my back when I was training, That was a problem and why my season was not as good outdoors as it was indoors. This year we’ve changed things and have done more intense training for the outdoor season. I train mainly with guys and they help to push me. It works well for me because there aren’t many women who would be able to train with me. I wanted to train more for the outdoor season than the indoor season, so I changed my training totally. I already have natural speed which I don’t need to work on, so in training I’ve been working more on my endurance. Now I think I can run faster outdoors than I previously thought I was capable of. With the training I'd been doing in Barcelona, I knew I was able to break the world record, but you never can be sure. The pacer did a really good job and I was confident in her. In Barcelona I was alone from early on in the race, but here the pacer took me through to 800m. She did such a good job that I knew I had to keep pushing. I didn’t want to waste the opportunity. This change in preparation has paid off and I have to thank my coach for making it happen. I already had four indoor world records, but I wanted to break them outdoors. I have been dreaming of an outdoor world record for ever. Now I want them all: the 1500m, the 5000m, even the 800m. It was a really fast race in perfect conditions so I don't know if I can go faster. But I’d like to return to Monaco next year to try to break the 5000m world record. I tried to congratulate Ayana after the race in Paris but she didn’t accept it, During the race we were more focused on beating each other, but I’ll try to break the 5000m world record later this year. Everybody expects me to win the gold medal, I have to do it, especially after what my sister has achieved. I have to do the same, if not better. Dibaba is finally a master of all trades, July 18 2015 External Link Category:Sportspeople from Ethiopia Category:Track and field athletes Category:Living people