Kenenisa Bekele’s Ethiopian Suspension Lifted

He had been punished for not reporting to a training camp.

One of the world’s most successful distance runners, Kenenisa Bekele of Ethiopia, now has a green light to compete again. In a strange move, the Ethiopian Athletics Federation suspended him and 34 other top-class runners for not reporting to a pre-Olympic training camp.

“We have agreed to discuss all the matters concerning their problems,” said Ethiopian Athletics Federation president Bisrat Gashawten Tirfe .

Bekele was a double gold medalist in the 5,000m and 10,000m events in the 2008 Olympics.

Tirunesh Dibaba on the women’s side was similarly suspended.

“Kenenisa is our hero and we have great respect for him, but the rules don’t discriminate,” Ethiopian Athletics Federation spokesman Fikru Tekele said. “To ensure results in London we should be tight, control them and protect them from injuries.”

Bekele’s agent, Jos Hermens, said his athlete was extremely angry at the suspension and even thought about changing nationalities. Hermens noted that the training camp has a hard Mondo track that could increase Bekele’s chances of injury.

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