28th October 2013 12:00
At 28, the Reims-born middle-distance runner is one of the best 3000m steeplechasers in the world, his two Olympic silvers and two IAAF world championship bronzes are proof of that.
But now he is plotting a small piece of history as he plans to run both the 1500m and the steeplechase in Switzerland in under 10 months’ time.
No athlete has ever achieved this specific double at the European Athletics Championships.
L’Equipe has this week reported that Mekhissi is opting out of the indoor season to train towards his goal of winning both events in Zurich.
Can it be done?
The timetable allows it for now. So far ahead of a major championship, schedules are always subject to change and while it would be a tough week for the Frenchman, it does seem possible.
The heats of the 3000m steeplechase are on the opening day, Tuesday 12 August, with the final taking place two days later.
Here’s where the difficulties begin. He will not get any rest following the steeplechase final because the 1500m heats are the following day - possibly in the morning as is sometimes the case - before a break until the final on the Sunday afternoon.
Mekhissi ended this summer season fourth on the 1500m European Athletics rankings with a best of 3:33.12 from Tomblaine in July, while he remains way out in front in the 3000m steeplechase standings.
He tops the rankings with 8:00.09, over 12 seconds ahead of the next man, fellow Frenchman Yoann Kowal.
Mekhissi has proved his European supremacy having won the last two European Athletics Championships, in Barcelona in 2010 with a time of 8:07.87, a Championship record, and then two years later in Helsinki, in a much more pedestrian time of 8:33.29.
Only since last March has he made a name for himself in the 1500m when he won the crown at the European Athletics Indoor Championships in Göteborg in a thrilling finish, taking the title by just 0.05 in 3:37.17 from Türkiye’s Ilham Tanui Oziben.
If the timetable allows it to happen, his bid for two gold medals will become a theme throughout the week in Zurich.
The continent’s fastest 1500m runner is Mo Farah after he broke the European Athletics record with his 3:28.81 in Monaco. However he is unlikely to enter the 1500m, choosing to either concentrate on the 5000m, 10,000m or even the marathon.
This means the 1500m will be wide open, a thought Mekhissi can take with him in the months ahead knowing the greatest few days of his career could be on the horizon.
THE WEEK JUST GONE
One where Prague announced their plans for the European Athletics Indoor Championships in 2015 where they are going to embrace their stars of yesterday with those of today to help promote the event.
Their decision to host their first major athletics championship for 37 years has come at a perfect time, with Czech Republic athletes, such as Zuzana Hejnova, the newly-crowned female European Athlete of the Year, at the forefront of the sport.
THE WEEK AHEAD
A number of varied events in Europe, from mountain running to marathons, while many eyes in the sport will be on New York, 12 months on from the race being cancelled after Superstorm Sandy.
COMING NEXT
Nov 2 - Ukrainian Cup
Nov 2 - Grand Prix ACCC Horazdovice (Strelske Hostice)
Nov 3 - New York City Marathon
Nov 3 - Cerski Marathon (Loznica)
Nov 3 - Russian Cup Mountain Running (Moscow)
Nov 3 - Lotto Crosscup van provincie Antwerpen (Mol)
Nov 3 - Maratona di Ravenna Citta d’Arte (Ravenna)
IN BRIEF
- Italy’s SPAR European Cross Country champion Andrea Lalli was happy with his marathon debut as he finished third in the fog and high humidity of Venice on Sunday - and he plans to stay with the event. As Nixon Machichim won in 2:13:10 from Kenyan teammate Raymond Kandie in 2:13:11, Lalli crossed the line in 2:14:26. 'With this kind of weather it was not possible for everyone run to run strong,” he said. “But I am happy, I have understood that marathon is hard but no problem. I like this kind of training and I am happy to go on with my new ambition as a marathoner,' he said.
- Swiss mountain running specialist Martina Strahl won on her debut at the SwissCity Marathon in Luzern with a 2014 European Athletics Championships qualifying time of 2:39:15.
- In Valladolid, Span’s Pablo Villalobos won the Medio Maratón de Tordesillas with 1:05:56.
- Poland´s Maciej Miereczko won the Lausanne Marathon in 2:29:02 while Great Britain’s Emma Pooley took the women’s race in 2:44:29.