Hicham El Guerrouj of Morocco ended eight years of agony as he won the elusive Olympic Games men's 1500 metres gold medal.
The 29-year-old four-time world champion won a thrilling duel with Kenya's Bernard Lagat to cross the line in 3min 34.18sec and fulfill a lifelong ambition.
Lagat took silver in 3:34.30 and Rui Silva of Portugal won the bronze in 3:34.68.
"The last few metres I just refused to let him go," El Guerrouj said.
Lagat said that he was a spent force by the time the Moroccan regained the ground on him.
"I couldn't have asked any more of myself. El Guerrouj came here
to show that nobody's ever going to be able to count him out and he proved that. I congratulate him. He's a great champion."
El Guerrouj had taken up the pace with two laps remaining after an early slow pace set by the three Kenyans in the race.
At the bell, El Guerrouj was still in front but being tracked by Lagat, the bronze medallist in 2000, and the menacing form of Ukrainian Ivan Heshko loomed large.
They soon shook off Heshko but Lagat stuck to him like a limpet and on the final bend moved alongside him.
El Guerrouj held his own but then, 40 metres from the finish, Lagat moved ahead.
The Kenyan couldn't kill off his rival and the Moroccan was back alongside him and then pushed ahead with just metres left to win a quite outstanding battle.
Filed by Barry McEneaney
