Xaba will soon dominate races against Ethiopians, says coach

Long-distance runner Glenrose Xaba’s coach Violet Semenya has backed her to end the dominance of Ethiopian runners in SA women’s distance races.

Xaba, 28, claimed the third spot in the Durban leg of the Spar Grand Prix on Sunday, where Ethiopians Tadu Nare and Selam Gabre showed her clean pairs of heels to finish first and second receptively.  Xaba achieved her 10km personal best (PB) in the same race, clocking 31.55.

The 22-year-old Nare, who’d won the previous segment of this event in Gqeberha last month, is a hot favourite to win her third successive Grand Prix this season. It’s not only in the Spar Grand Prix where the Ethiopians have been dominating the locals as even the reigning champion of the Soweto Marathon women’s race is  Ethiopian, Chaltu Bedo Negashu.

“Soon enough the party [meaning the dominance by the Ethiopians in SA] will be over,’' said Semenya, who’s married to two-time Olympic gold medalist Caster Semenya.

“I see everything when she [Xaba] trains that she’s getting there. She’s getting confident enough and she’s believing in herself. I always tell athletes that if you don’t believe in yourself, no matter how coaches believe in you, it’s not going to work. She will dominate these races soon.”

Semenya was also pleased that Xaba racked up the PB she has been chasing for years, albeit the aim is to run the 10km distance in 31 minutes. Semenya also confirmed that Xaba won’t be involved in any marathons this year as their focus is on the World Half-Marathon Championships that take place in Riga, Latvia, from September 30 to October 1.

“I am happy with the time that she ran. She’d been looking for this time for many years even though it’s not the 31 we are looking for but I am happy for the PB that she ran today,'” Xaba’s trainer said.

“She will run no marathon this year. She has to concentrate on the World-Half Marathon. In the half-marathon, the aim is for her to run a PB and finish in a good position.”