Bekele sets new 5,000m world record
Monday, 31 May 2004 23:00Ethiopia's Kenenisa Bekele added to his growing claim to being the world's greatest long distance runner by setting a men's 5,000 metres world record of 12 minutes 37.35 seconds in Hengelo, Holland.
Bekele took more than two seconds off the mark set six years ago by his fellow Ethiopian, and boyhood idol, Haile Gebrselassie.
"I am surprised by the time. I didn't think it was going to be possible," said the delighted world 10,000 metres champion and three-times double world cross country champion.
"It is amazing to think that I have done better than Haile," added Bekele.
At the outset, the prospects for the 21-year-old succeeding in his widely publicised bid for his first world outdoor record after setting the indoor mark over the same distance in February, looked doubtful.
By the time the gun went, gushing winds had started blowing and the temperature dropping. Bekele also had to cope with some erratic pacemaking over the first two kilometres and was nearly three seconds off his schedule at the point when he took off on his own.
One of the two key points in the race, although it was more of a solo procession, was when Bekele suddenly hit the accelerator just after the halfway point.
Suddenly the deficit dropped from several seconds to mere fractions with Bekele then unleashing a stunning last lap at the sound of the bell.
His final lap of the track took a mere 57.8 seconds to etch his name in the annals of athletics history.
Bekele will now try to strip Gebrselassie of his 10,000 world record when he runs in the Ostrava Super Grand Prix meeting on June 8.
"That is going to be my event at the Olympics. I will not run the 5,000 in Athens," said Bekele.
Filed by Aidan O'Doherty
