Barega targets world record at Lievin

Barega targets world record at Lievin

www.athleticshour.com | Selemon Barega | World Athletics Indoor Tour Gold | Lievin | France |

Organisers have announced that Ethiopia’s Selemon Barega is to return to the Meeting Hauts-de-France Pas-de-Calais – a World Athletics Indoor Tour Gold meeting – in Lievin on 17 February, to tackle the world indoor 3000m record. Barega targets world record at Lievin.

With his effort in Lievin last year, the world indoor silver medalist climbed to third on the world indoor all-time list, clocking 7:26.10 to finish second behind his countrymen Getnet Wale, who ran 7:24.98 to only miss Daniel Komen’s long-standing world record of 7:24.90.

Barega went on to win over 1500m at World Indoor Tour meetings in Torun, where he set an indoor PB of 3:32.97, and Madrid, before becoming the Olympic 10,000m champion in Tokyo.

Barega has also been announced for the Copernicus Cup in Torun on 22 February, where he is set to be joined by Wale and Lamecha Girma, who finished third behind his compatriots in Lievin last year, clocking 7:27.98. Before that race, just six men had bettered 7:30 for 3000m indoors. Now the figure stands at 10, with the fourth-place finisher in Lievin last year, Berihu Aregawi, also dipping under the mark with 7:29.24.

Gudaf Tsegay, who broke the world indoor 1500m record last year and now competes in the mile, is also returning to Lievin.

Grant Holloway, the global indoor 60m hurdles record holder, Marcell Jacobs, the Olympic 100m champion, and Jakob Ingebrigtsen, the Olympic 1500m champion, are among the other competitors confirmed for the meeting.

Source: Worldathletics.org