Ethiopian couple Dibaba and Sihine could miss athletics worlds

NAIROBI (Reuters) - Ethiopian couple Sileshi Sihine and Tirunesh Dibaba are fitness doubts for the world championships in Berlin which start on Saturday.

"Tirunesh and Sileshi are in Germany but they are having medical treatment. Both have suffered injuries in practice," national coach Woldemaskal Kostire told Reuters by telephone on Tuesday.

"It is possible they will participate ... if their injuries improve but we don't know yet."

Dibaba, the Olympic 5,000 and 10,000 metres champion, has a torn muscle while her husband has a dislocation, said Kostire without giving further details.

The 23-year-old Dibaba won the 5,000-10,000 double at the 2005 world championships in Helsinki.