Haile to run 10km in Beijing

ADDIS ABABA (Reuters) - Twice Olympic champion Haile Gebrselassie will run in the 10,000 metres at the Beijing Olympics, he said on Thursday.

Gebrselassie, who suffers from asthma and has pulled out of the Olympic marathon over about pollution in Beijing, will also be the standard bearer for Ethiopia at the August Games.

"As I said, earlier, I would not participate in the marathon event due to my health. But I would certainly run in the 10,000 metres event," Gebrselassie, 34, told Reuters.

"I am the standard bearer and it is my earnest determination to lead my country's athletes at the Beijing Olympics."

He also denied speculation he would boycott the Games, saying such rumours were being spun by "people of ill will against China".

"I respect the leadership and people of that country very much," he said.

In a separate interview, Ethiopian chief athletics coach Woldemeskel Kostre clarified comments made to Reuters through an interpreter on April 1 when he said Gebrselassie was "not ready to run 10,000 metres at the Olympics".

"I did not say Haile would not run in the 10,000 metres event at Beijing. What I said was as long as Haile meets the minimum requirement he would run in the 10,000 metres," he said.

The four times world 10,000 champion retired from the track after finishing fifth in the 2004 Athens final to concentrate on the marathon where he is the world record holder.

Gebrselassie will run in a 10,000 race at Hengelo, Netherlands on May 24 where he will face his compatriot -- the Olympic champion and world record holder Kenenisa Bekele.