Ethiopia’s Tirunesh and Meseret Gear Up for Team Africa

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2009 World Athletics Final — Tirunesh Debaba and Meseret Defar will suit up for Team Africa to take on the world this weekend in Croatia.

(TsehaiNY) – This weekend at IAAF Continental Cup, African athletes will gear up to take on the rest of the world in Croatia.

Ethiopia’s Tirunesh Dibaba and Meseret Defar are used to competing against each other or their usual rivals in neighboring Kenya but this weekend they join a host of athletes and will suit up for Team Africa when they take on Americas, Europe, and Asia/Oceana.

The IAAF Continental Cup puts athletes in teams according to the continent in which they represent.

Each team will have two athletes per individual event except in the 1500m, 3000m, and 5000m where three athletes may enter with two to score. The team with the most overall point total of men and women combined will be the winner.

Some of the African athletes joining Tirunesh and Meseret are as follows: Amine Laalou (Morocco), Asbel Kiprop (Kenya), Benjamin Kiplagat, (Uganda), Edwin Soi (Kenya), Imane Merga (Ethiopia), Mekonnen Gebremedhin (Ethiopia), Moses Kipsiro (Uganda), Roba Gari, (Ethiopia), Tariku Bekele (Ethiopia), Vincent Yator (Kenya), and Vivian Cheruiyot (Kenya).

Although an impressive list of world athletes will take part in the Continental Cup, there are a few well known athletes who are not taking part including the reigning world champion in 100m, 200m and 4×100 meters relay Usain Bolt.

You can watch the Continental Cup on Universal Sports (check your local listings) or online.

Source: IAAF