He began to expand his event repertoire and doubled up in the steeplechase and 5000 metres races at the 2002 European Athletics Championships. He failed to reach the steeplechase final but managed twelfth in the 5000 m event final. He began to focus on running the flat distances thereafter. He made his world cross country running debut in 2003, finishing in eighteenth place in the short race at the 2003 IAAF World Cross Country Championships. He was the best Swiss performer at the event, heading the national team (including Viktor Röthlin) to seventh in the rankings. He was also chosen for the 2003 World Championships and reached the final of the 5000 m. He ended up in 13th place, but he was one of only two Europeans in the world final, alongside Juan Carlos de la Ossa of Spain. He also ran in the event at the 2004 Athens Olympics, but did not make it past the heats stage on his second Olympic appearance.