- Athletics: 2008 - End of Year Review

Athletics: 2008 - End of Year Review

IAAF - Dec 27, 2008 - In Beijing, Bekele won in rampant style sprinting away from Eliud Kipchoge early before fully enjoying the final straight and won the Olympic gold in 12:57.82, his first over 5000m distance. In doing so he completed a 5000m/10,000m double, the first time since countryman Miruts Yifter did it in Moscow 1980 following Lasse Viren (FIN) who had done so both in 1972 and 1976.

Just one year ago Meseret Defar lowered her 5000m World record by almost eight seconds to 14:16 at the Oslo Golden League meet. However, rather than a milestone kind of record Defar's mark turned out quickly to be just a passing episode in the history of the event.

Defar herself ran almost four seconds faster this year at the DN Galan in Stockholm – but still didn't claim another World record! The reason being her fellow Ethiopian rival Tirunesh Dibaba had run 14:11.15 in Bislett, Oslo some seven weeks earlier! Read More.