The 10.000m national champion Dieudonne Disi has embarked on rigorous training in preparation for next year’s Beijing Olympic Games. In an e-mail message over the weekend from his Belgium base, Disi said, “Since I have achieved my best qualification time for next year’s Olympics, resting is not part of timetable. I must train harder than ever before in order to raise my form such that I can be able to contender for the 10.000m against the likes of Kenenisia Bekele.” “I ran with him in the just concluded Golden League in Brussels and I have now come to know what makes him excel and I am going to use this opportunity to develop it and see if I can get some luck with it,” Disi said. The 27-year old added, “I’m only left with a few months to go Beijing and I must reach there with something to prove to my country.” “I have not won any silverware for my country despite doing well at a personal level like improving my personal best time,” he admitted. Disi set a new national record after finishing sixth in the Memorial Van Damme Golden League in Brussels last week. He clocked 27:22:28 bringing to an end the 15-year record of 27:55:45 set by Mathius Ntawukuriryayo, now retired and based in Italy. Disi, whose earlier personal best was 27:53.51 also beat the minimum qualification required time for next year’s Olympic Games of 27:50:00. The former Kadogo in the RPF, now RDF finished outside of the medal brackets after clocking 1:04:00 to finish fourth in the half-marathon race in the All Africa Games held in Algiers last July. He also participated in the 5000m in the World Athletics Championships in Osaka but didn’t go past the heat rounds after finishing 11th. The top ten qualified for the final. Ends
