The 3000m event at the World Indoor Championships in Belgrade saw several African athletes succeed in the first heats on Friday. Lamecha Girma obtained the best time.
Lamecha Girma, the favourite to win the gold medal in the 3,000m event, did not disappoint in his debut at the World Indoor Athletics Championships on Friday 18 March. The 21-year-old Ethiopian clocked a super time (7mn46s21). This was better than his time at the Tokyo Olympic Games, where he won silver in the same event, in 8mn10s30.
First in his heat, Girma beat Kenya's Jacob Krop, who was second with a time of 7 minutes 46 seconds 43 hundredths. The Moroccan Zouhair Talbi, lined up in the same series, also qualified for the final by finishing third, with a time of 7 minutes 48 seconds 03 hundredths.
Selemon Barega tops his heat
Ethiopia's Selemon Barega also distinguished himself in the 3000m event. The Olympic champion in the 10,000m at the Tokyo Olympics successfully validated his ticket to the final. His time: 7 minutes 51 seconds 42 hundredths.
Aged 22, Selemon Barega, who came top of his group, is aiming for a first gold medal at the World Indoor Athletics Championships. In 2018 in Birmingham, he won the silver medal. Kenya's Daniel Simiu Ebenyo was also successful in the heats, clocking 7 minutes 54 seconds 97 hundredths.
