Bekele is "very special" too - AF Golden League, Zurich - IAAF - August 28, 2008

In Beijing last week, Ethiopia's Kenenisa Bekele achieved a feat that even his great compatriot Haile Gebrselassie was unable to match in his illustrious track career. Joining Hannes Kolehmainen (FIN), Emil Zatopek (CZE), Vladimir Kuts (URS), Lasse Viren (FIN) and Miruts Yifter (ETH), Bekele is now one of only six men to win the 5000m and 10,000m double at the Olympic Games since those metric distances were introduced to the Olympic programme in 1912.

But Bekele's historic achievement in China, as that of his female compatriot Tirunesh Dibaba over the same distances which was unique in women's Olympic distance running history, was largely overlooked by the world because of one man, Jamaican Usain Bolt, whose phenomenal sprint successes transcended Athletics to make him the overall star of Beijing 2008, along with swimmer Michael Phelps.

Bekele, the World record holder for 5000 and 10,000m, was at a press conference in Zurich this afternoon ahead of tomorrow night's Weltklasse Zurich, AF Golden League meeting (Fri 29) where he'll run the 5000m. Was he upset that the 22-year-old Jamaican had upstaged the rest of the athletics programme which had produced so many other outstanding results including his own?

"No, I'm not upset (that Bolt's success took all the headlines)."

"We cannot compare Bolt with myself. Sprinting and distance running, it is not possible to compare." Read More.