Dibaba rides World record momentum to Eastern Europe...

Clearly on another plane too is Tirunesh Dibaba, the twice World 10,000m champion who shattered the 5000m World record in Oslo last weekend, where she stopped the clock in 14:11.15. Her performance knocked more than five-and-a-half seconds from the record set a year earlier by Meseret Defar on the same track. So persistent in her pursuit was Dibaba that she covered the final 3000m in just over 8:27; last year only one woman ran faster in a 3000m race.

Still only 22, Dibaba’s 30:15.67 personal best from 2005 ranks her as the ninth fastest ever, and with her streak of success continuing at the World Cross Country Championships, she is already well on her way to ranking among the all-time distance greats. Missing of course is an Olympic triumph – she took bronze in the 5000m in 2004 – and her performance on Thursday will go a long way in helping her – along with Ethiopian selectors - decide whether she’ll attempt a distance double in Beijing.

As in Oslo, she’ll be joined by older sister Ejegayehu who has a 30:18.39 to her credit; Werknesh Kidane, whose 30:07.15 ranks her as the fourth fastest ever; and Benita Johnson, the Australian record holder (30:37.68) in the 10,000m and Marathon.

Of particular interest will be Kenyan Linet Masai’s debut over the distance. Just 18, she followed up her 2007 World junior Cross Country triumph with a bronze medal finish in the senior race in March.

... and so does Kaki