Press Release - London Marathon - 3/14/13

          Dibaba Withdraws From London Marathon With Shin Injury

Tirunesh Dibaba has pulled out of the 2013 Virgin London Marathon with a 
shin injury.

The Ethiopian triple Olympic track champion was due to make her debut over 
26.2 miles in London on 21 April but has been forced to postpone her move 
up to the marathon because a previous problem with her lower leg re-emerged 
during training.

She said: "I have been in training for the London Marathon, but the 
increase in mileage has caused a flare up of my previous lower leg injury.

"As a result, I won't be able to compete in this year's London Marathon but 
I look forward to making my marathon debut there next year."

Dibaba retained her Olympic 10,000m title at London 2012 last summer and 
added a bronze in the 5000m after winning both events at the Beijing 2008 
Olympic Games. She has also bagged four gold medals at World Championships 
and five World Cross Country titles in an illustrious career.

She won the Great North Run half marathon last September and was aiming to 
become the first Ethiopian since her cousin Derartu Tulu in 2001 to win the 
women's race at the London Marathon.

Dibaba's withdrawal leaves Olympic champion Tiki Gelana to spearhead the 
Ethiopian challenge at her first London Marathon. Gelana will face World 
Champion Edna Kiplagat of Kenya, plus World and Olympic silver medallist 
Priscah Jeptoo in a race featuring five women who have completed the 
distance in less than two hours 20 minutes.

London Marathon race director Hugh Brasher said: "Of course, it is 
disappointing to lose Tirunesh. She has been such a fantastic athlete on 
the track, and everyone was full of anticipation to see how well she 
performed in a marathon, so we would be naturally delighted to see her 
return to London in 2014 as part of the London Marathon elite field.

"We still have a fantastic women's race in prospect, however, with the 
Olympic and World Champions going head-to-head, and so many winners from 
major city marathons around the world."

The women's elite field for the 2013 Virgin London Marathon:

Tiki Gelana              ETH 2:18:58 
Lucy Kabuu               KEN 2:19:34 
Yoko Shibui              JPN 2:19:41 
Florence Kiplagat        KEN 2:19:44 
Edna Kiplagat            KEN 2:19:50 
Priscah Jeptoo           KEN 2:20:14 
Meselech Melkamu         ETH 2:21:01 
Atsede Baysa             ETH 2:22:03 
Yukiko Akaba             JPN 2:24:09 
Remi Nakazato            JPN 2:24:28 
Jéssica Augusto          POR 2:24:33 
Alevtina Biktimirova     RUS 2:25:12 
Mai Ito                  JPN 2:25:26 
Chika Horie              JPN 2:26:11 
Renee Baillie            USA 2:27:17 
Olga Dubovskaya          BLR 2:28:08 
Freya Ross               GBR 2:28:10 
Adriana da Silva         BRA 2:29:17 
Joyce Chepkirui          KEN Debut 
Helen Clitheroe          GBR Debut 

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