By Daniel Kiko, (Standard), World-Track
HEUSDEN-ZOLDER, Belgium — Olympic 2008 champion over 800m Pamela Jelimo will race for the first time in Europe at the KBC Night of Athletics in Heusden-Zolder this Saturday (18) in Belgium.
The Kenyan star dominated the event last year on her way to winning the Beijing title and the Golden League Jackpot with a 12 race undefeated streak.
However, she found the early going rough in 2009 and has been struggling to regain the same form that saw her hiking to stardom last season.
Jemilo finished a disappointing sixth in Rabat, Morocco in 2:02.46 and then faded to last place at the Prefontaine Classic in Eugene, USA in an even slower 2:05.57 performance in her two meetings this year.
But despite the rough patches, Jemilo, who owns a personal best of 1:54.01, is confident she will be back on schedule to rebuild the winning form, as she prepares for the IAAF World Championships in Berlin next month.
In Heusden-Zolder, the Kenyan will race against a solid field led by Jamaican and Caribbean No.1 Kenia Sinclair, her fellow islander Neisha Bernard-Thomas of Grenada, as well as Americans Geena Gall and Morgan Uceny and Germany’s Jana Hartmann.
"For this 30th edition we wanted to do something special," head of talent representation of Golazo sports, Marc Corstjens said. "With the Kenyan Pamela Jelimo we have succeeded in having an absolute star on board.
"It will be here first European race since her World cup final in Stuttgart. I am confident that she will be brilliant in Heusden, because I have been sent training times that hope for the best. I’m sure she will make it to Berlin," added Corstjens.
Another woman looking to get back on her winning ways before Berlin is Australian Jana Pittman-Rawlinson, who will compete in the women’s 400m hurdles.
Pittman-Rawlinson, the reigning world champion will race in her third race in the come back, after winning the opening and finishing second in her other race this week.
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