Ethiopia orders athlete to run

News Services
Published: Sunday, March 16, 2008

Ethiopia has ordered its world champion marathon runner to compete in this summer's Olympics in China.

Haile Gebrselassie, who suffers from exercise-related asthma, announced that he will not run the 42.195-kilometer race because the air pollution in Beijing is a possible threat to his health.

IOC president Jacques Rogge has said the long-distance events at the Games could be rescheduled if conditions are too bad. A BBC report quoted Gebrselassie as saying he would consider running the marathon if the venue were changed.
Now his country's sports federation says he can't opt out of the marathon and must follow Ethiopian sports rules.

"It is not up to Haile Gebrselassie to decide on participation in the marathon event in Beijing," said Ethiopian sports technical director Dube Jillo.

"It is the Ethiopian Athletics Federation, representing the nation, that determines whether Haile is fit to compete in the marathon event in Beijing's Olympics or not."

Doctors and officials will decide whether Gebrselassie is fit to compete, Dube said.

RUGBY

WALES TAKES CUP

CARDIFF -- Wales produced a display of tenacious defence to beat France

29-12 Saturday to claim their second Six Nations Grand Slam in four years.

The Welsh completed their remarkable transformation from a team that crashed out of last year's World Cup in the group stages to conceding only two tries and finishing unbeaten after five games of European rugby's showcase tournament.

BOXING

PACQUIAO WINS

LAS VEGAS -- Manny Pacquiao of the Philippines defeated Mexico's Juan Manuel Marquez by split decision Saturday to win the WBC super featherweight championship.

The scores were 114-112 and 114-113 for Pacquiao, while one judge gave it 115-112 for Marquez.

On another note, former world champions Zab Judah and Shane Mosley, both trying to bounce back from title-bout losses to unbeaten world champion Miguel Cotto, will meet May 31 in a welterweight showdown.

BASKETBALL

UCLA WINS SPOT

LOS ANGELES -- UCLA won the Pac-10 men's basketball title Saturday, earning an automatic bid to the NCAA tournament. The tournament field will be selected today (3 p.m., The Score) for the Final Four, April 5, 7 in San Antonio.