Marathon News - Dinkessa, Korir, Ochichi Join Bolzano Field

Dec-29-2005

Dinkessa, Korir, Ochichi Join Bolzano Field
by Bob Ramsak
(c) Race Results Weekly, all rights reserved

Abebe Dinkesa of Ethiopia, Kenyan John Cheruiyot Korir and Olympic 5000m silver medallist Isabella Ochichi have joined the field for the 31st Boclassic races in Bolzano, Italy, on Saturday, December 31.

Dinkesa, whose 26:30.74 in the 10,000m in Hengelo last May was the year's second fastest performance, and Korir, who was second to Sammy Kipketer at the Crescent City Classic 10 km in New Orleans last March, are late hour additions to the men's 10 km field after Olympic marathon champion Stefan Baldini and American Dathan Ritzenhein were forced to withdraw last week due to injury. Baldini and Ritzenhein finished second and third in the race last year behind five-time winner Sergey Lebid.

Lebid, who won his sixth European cross country title earlier this month, will seek his fifth consecutive win here. In their last meeting, Dinkesa beat Lebid for the second straight year at the Lotto CrossCup in Brussels on December 18.

Ochichi has been added to the women's 5 km race, where she will face fellow-Kenyan Susan Chepkemei, Aniko Kalovics of Hungary and Great Britain's Jo Pavey.

RRW will provide on-site coverage from Bolzano