BEIJING - AUGUST 23: (L-R) Kenenisa Bekele of Ethiopia, Eliud Kipchoge of Kenya and Edwin Cheruiyot Soi of Kenya compete in the Men's 5000m Final held at the National Stadium on Day 15 of the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games on August 23, 2008 in Beijing, China. (Photo by Michael Steele/Getty Images)

Kenenisa Bekele, Tigst Aseffa to lead Ethiopian marathon team at Paris Olympics

On May 17, 2024 409

Addis Ababa, May 17, 2024 (FBC) – Renowned athletes Kenenisa Bekele and Tigst Aseffa are set to lead the Ethiopian marathon team at the upcoming Paris Olympics, as announced by the Athletics Federation.

The men’s team includes Sisay Lemma, Deresa Geleta, and Kenenisa Bekele, with Tamrat Tola and Eusedin Mohammed listed as reserves.

Meanwhile, the women’s team features Tigst Aseffa, Amane Beriso, and Megertu Alemu, with Gotytom Gebreslassie and Buze Diriba named as reserves.

Kenenisa Bekele, a three-time Olympic gold medalist, is expected to go head-to-head against Eliud Kipchoge in the marathon event at Paris 2024. Their rivalry dates back to the 2003 World Championships in Paris, where Kipchoge secured the 5000m gold. Their last track meeting was in 2009, with Bekele claiming the world 5000m crown in Berlin, Germany. In their most recent encounter at the 2018 London Marathon, Kipchoge emerged victorious while Kenenisa Bekele finished sixth.

Kenenisa Bekele, who will turn 42 next month, recently set a new masters record at the London Marathon, finishing second behind Mutiso Munyao of Kenya.

The 2024 Summer Olympics, officially the Games of the XXXIII Olympiad and commonly known as Paris 2024, is an upcoming international multi-sport event scheduled to take place from 26 July to 11 August in the French capital and 16 other cities spread across Metropolitan France, plus one subsite in Tahiti.