Tsegaye Kebede Eyeing Chicago Win

The Ethiopian is on the hunt for that elusive victory.

Tsegaye Kebede hopes to do one thing in Chicago this weekend: win.

Two years ago in the Windy City’s marathon, the Ethiopian went toe-to-toe with the late Sammy Wanjiru and came up short.

And a year before that, he also lost to his Kenyan rival.

But Kebede has tasted victory–just not in Chicago. He’s won London, Paris, and twice in Fukuoka, Japan.

“The big fight is better,” Kebede says of the upcoming race.

Despite his fierce rivalry with Wanjiru, he still remains deeply saddened at his passing. “When I did my training run [Thursday] morning, I was thinking, ‘He passed me right here,’ ” Kebede said of Wanjiru. “It was amazing.”

Chicago aside, Kebede is currently dwelling on why he was left off his country’s Olympic team two months ago in London. In the marathon, not a single Ethiopian finished the  race.

“Everybody was shocked,” Kebede said. “Everybody said in the media and websites, ‘Why was Tsegaye not on the team?’ ”

For More: Chicago Tribune