UAE’s Betlhem Belayneh got a welcome boost ahead of the World Athletics Championships, clocking a new national record in the Diamond League stop in Stockholm on Thursday night.
Belayneh took bronze in the 3,000m race in rainy conditions in the Swedish capital, crossing the finish line in a personal best 8:53.75 behind gold medallist American Katie Mackey, whose 8:52.99 was also a PB, and second-placed Renata Plis of Poland, who finished in 8:53.58.
“I felt good about the race,” Belayneh told Sport360 of her exploits in Stockholm. “I’m happy to register a new national record for the UAE and a PB for myself.
“It was a slow race because of the cold weather and everyone was trying to win, that’s why the time is not that fast.”
The 23-year-old Ethiopian-born Emirati returned to her training base camp in Barcelona on Friday where she is preparing for the upcoming World Championships, which kick off in Beijing on August 22.
Having defended her 1,500m and 5,000m crowns at the Asian Athletics Championships in Wuhan last June, Belayneh is hoping to translate her continental success into a decent showing at Worlds.
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“My preparation for Beijing has gone well so far except for a small injury in my leg,” she said. “It is the same problem I had last year, in my left leg, in the tendon.
“So I am trying my best to do well in Beijing. I’m getting treatment alongside my training in Barcelona and hopefully I’ll be ready.”
Belayneh was not the only Emirati to have a promising appearance in Stockholm.
UAE sprinter Naseib Salmein finished second in the 200m B race by clocking a personal best 20.96 seconds – a time that was faster than the runner who placed eighth in the final of the event.
Salmein has been the surprise package for UAE athletics this summer after he ran a stunning 10.17s in the 100m event at the President’s Cup in Dubai in June, smashing Omar Al Salfa’s seven-year national record of 10.56s.
The Al Nasr Club sprinter will be representing the Emirates at the World Championships in Beijing, as well as at the Rio 2016 Olympics.
The 27-year-old has a military background, and started running while he was in the army, before joining Al Nasr last year to train with a Bulgarian coach.
Al Nasr have dedicated Dh500,000 towards Salmein’s preparation for Worlds and Rio which the UAE Athletics Federation will be using to build a specific training programme for the sprinter.
