“I am really happy to have received a wildcard for the IAAF Diamond League finale,” said Berlin silver medallist Abdi. “The 5000 metres will be my first race at the Memorial. And also my last. After this race I am quitting the track to fully focus on next year’s world championship marathon in Qatar.”
“It’s fantastic to end the first part of my career with a European silver medal. It doesn’t get better than that and I celebrated for weeks in Ghent, where everyone knows me. Now I am back to waking up every day at the same time, getting all the training done and setting goals for the future. That medal didn’t change me. Even looking for additional sponsors will have to wait until after the season."
Abdi is really looking forward to his run at the AG Memorial Van Damme. “As a participant I followed the Memorial many times," the 29-year-old added. "The enthusiasm, the public … you can’t find that anywhere in the world. Even the world championships and the Rio Olympic Games can’t top that. The track in Brussels is also very fast and the pacemakers provide a consistently fast pace. I won’t repeat my mistake from the Night of Athletics in Heusden. I want to be relaxed and enjoy the first three kilometres and try to overtake the others in the final two when they are starting to struggle. I want to show what I can do in front of my home crowd.”
27 August, 2018
