Post by Taxigirl on Aug 21, 2004 10:16:13 GMT
news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/olympics_2004/athletics/3584572.stm
Kenenisa Bekele was crowned Olympic 10,000m champion after a blistering burst of speed destroyed his rivals.
Bekele, the world record holder, ran 53.02 seconds for the last 400m to win in 27 minutes 5.11secs.
Bekele's Ethiopian team-mate Sileshi Sihine took silver, with the bronze going to Eritrea's Zersenay Tadesse.
Double Olympic champion Haile Gebrselassie ended his wonderful track career in disappointment, limping home fifth after a difficult race.
"We were hoping to take the first three places but Haile wasn't able to keep up," said Bekele.
"I was very well prepared and was always confident that I would win."
"There was a lot of pain," said Gebrselassie. "I wanted to finish in the top three but I couldn't do it.
"I haven't really trained for three weeks but for Ethiopia to get gold and silver is fantastic. Bekele did a great job."
In a race of fluctuating pace, the three Ethiopians went to the front with 12 laps to go but struggled to shake off Tadesse and Uganda's Boniface Kiprop.
Haile was dropped with seven laps to go as Bekele and Sihine upped the pace, putting in a lap of 60 seconds.
He got back with the leaders with a mile to go as the pace fell, but when Bekele accelerated again the great champion was dropped again.
Sihane and Bekele then upped the pace again and Kiprop could not stay with them.
Bekele let Sihane lead him out and then hit the front with 500m to go, sprinting away as if it were the first lap and not the last.
Kenenisa Bekele was crowned Olympic 10,000m champion after a blistering burst of speed destroyed his rivals.
Bekele, the world record holder, ran 53.02 seconds for the last 400m to win in 27 minutes 5.11secs.
Bekele's Ethiopian team-mate Sileshi Sihine took silver, with the bronze going to Eritrea's Zersenay Tadesse.
Double Olympic champion Haile Gebrselassie ended his wonderful track career in disappointment, limping home fifth after a difficult race.
"We were hoping to take the first three places but Haile wasn't able to keep up," said Bekele.
"I was very well prepared and was always confident that I would win."
"There was a lot of pain," said Gebrselassie. "I wanted to finish in the top three but I couldn't do it.
"I haven't really trained for three weeks but for Ethiopia to get gold and silver is fantastic. Bekele did a great job."
In a race of fluctuating pace, the three Ethiopians went to the front with 12 laps to go but struggled to shake off Tadesse and Uganda's Boniface Kiprop.
Haile was dropped with seven laps to go as Bekele and Sihine upped the pace, putting in a lap of 60 seconds.
He got back with the leaders with a mile to go as the pace fell, but when Bekele accelerated again the great champion was dropped again.
Sihane and Bekele then upped the pace again and Kiprop could not stay with them.
Bekele let Sihane lead him out and then hit the front with 500m to go, sprinting away as if it were the first lap and not the last.