MADRID, 1 Mar. (EUROPA PRESS) –
The Spanish athlete Adel Mechaal, champion of Spain in 1,500 and 3,000 meters in the recent championship held in Orensa, said on Tuesday that his goal in the final of the World Indoor Tour, which is held in Madrid on March 2, is to stay ahead of Lamecha Girma and thus be able to eliminate one of the Ethiopians ahead of the World Cup that will be held from March 18 to 20 in Belgrade.
“My goal is to beat Lamecha Girma, I don’t want four Ethiopian representatives to go to the World Cup. We have to eliminate an Ethiopian tomorrow, they are athletes who run under 7:30, tomorrow the fight for that medal begins in Belgrade”, Mechaal stated at the presentation of the World Indoor Tour final at the Conde Duque Cultural Center in Madrid.
The athlete comes from being proclaimed double champion of Spain in 1,500 and 3,000 meters in the event held in Orense. “I really wanted to do the double, I’m happy to be back. I didn’t expect to be in this form. After the Games I took a little vacation and this is the continuation of the form in Tokyo. I have maintained a high level, They are the fruits that I collect after the whole season,” he said.
Regarding his duel with Mohamed Katir in 3,000, Mechaal insisted that he has “a very important objective”, in relation to his particular battle with the Ethiopians. “I have already told him (Katir) my strategy, let’s see if he listens to me. Tomorrow I have a very important objective and that is to eliminate one of the Ethiopians. If Katir beats me and I beat Girma, I will have fulfilled it,” he said, revealing who will bet on a tactical race.
“I want to give away a good race and generate enthusiasm, we all like to see a Spaniard fighting for medals and that is my goal,” he stressed.
Finally, Mechaal celebrated the great competitiveness that now exists within Spanish athletics. “Having a rival at home always makes you give a little more in each competition. I’ve been in the elite for almost 10 years and I’ve hooked the time of Higuero, Casado, but I survive like a dinosaur. I’m happy to keep giving them a cane, that they have a person they have to beat. Wanting to beat me can be a motivating motive for them. It’s very positive”, he concluded.