News Archive

News Archive

Golden League: Bekele runs fourth fastest time ever in Paris 5,000 metres

The highlight of the running events in the first Golden League

Meeting in Paris were the men’s 5000 metres.  Kenenisa Bekele

(Ethiopia) intended to break his own world record (12:37.35). After a

false start and another cancelled start the field finally went off. But

in front of about 70,000 spectators in the Stade de France it didn’t

work for Kenenisa Bekele. Clocking 12:40.18 minutes the 10,000 m

Olympic Champion reached the finish line in the fourth best time ever

at 5,000 m. He himself was faster only once last year, when he ran the

world record in Hengelo.


„I am really happy. This stadium is very special for me. In 2003 I

became world champion here at the 10.000 m and I got the bronze medal

at the 5.000 m as well. I wanted to break the world record tonight but

it was a little windy and cold. I felt the audience behind me. That was

great. It could have been better if I had beaten the record but I am

not sad. I don’t think I’ll run the 5,000 m in Helsinki. I will

concentrate on the 10,000 metres”, said Kenenisa Bekele after his race.



Until the 3,000 m mark he was on world record course. Martin Keino

(Kenya) had been the first pacemaker. He passed 1,000 m in 2:30.11

minutes. Then Shadrack Korir (Kenya) took the lead and reached 2,000 m

in 5:03.92 minutes. But shortly after, Bekele was on his own. For some

time he had Abebe Dinkesa (Ethiopia/12:55.58), who finished second in

the end, in the back. Bekele reached 3,000 m in 7:32.71 minutes, but

1,000 m later he had slowed down and was out of his world record

schedule (10:08.18). Third place was taken by Egziabher Gebremariam

(Ethiopia) in 12:58.60 minutes.


Abraham Chebii wasn’t allowed to start in Paris. It was here, were the

Kenyan had beaten Haile Gebrselassie (Ethiopia) at the 5,000 m race two

years ago. A week later he won again at this distance but he beat not

only Gebrselassie but Bekele as well. Since then Bekele seems to have a

lot of respect of Abraham Chebii and obviously tries to influence

organisers to omit the Kenyan. In Paris, a bidding city for the

Olympics 2012, it has worked. The French have forgotten about the

Olympic spirit in this case.


In the women’s 3,000 m race Edith Masai (Kenya) ran the fastest time of

the year. She ran 8:31.27 minutes and improved Meseret Defar’s

(Ethiopia) result by two seconds. Jane Wanjiku was the pace maker. She

covered the first 1,000 m in 2:53.21 minutes. In the last 300 meters

Edith Masai forced the pace rapidly and left her competitors behind.

Isabella Ochichi was second with 8:33.59 minutes while Joanne Pavey

(Great Britain/8:34.66) took third. “I am happy and I hope that I will

run faster in future”, Edith Masai said.


The 800 meter race was won by WilliamYiampoy of Kenya in 1:45.98

minutes but right behind him was South Africa’s Mbulaeni Mulaudzi

(1:46.00). Third was the winner of the Kenyan trials, Wilfried Bungei

(1:46.25).


In the 3,000 m steeplechase there was a triple triumph for Kenya:

Olympic Champion Ezekiel Kemboi won in 8:09.14 minutes, while Wesley

Kiprotich (8:09.46) was second and Kipkirui Misoi (8:10.02) took third.

The Kenyan trials’ winner Daniel Komen Kipchirchir won the 1,500 meters

in 3:30.01 minutes. Second was Bernard Lagat (3:30.64) who recently

switched nationality from Kenya to the US. Third was Mehdi Baala

(France/3:30.80).


The women’s 800 meter race was won by Swetlana Cherkasova (Russia) in

1:57.52 minutes. Zulia Calatayud (Cuba/1:58.37) and Maria Mutola

(Mozambique/1:58.96) took the next places. There was a victory from

Olga Jegorowa (Russia), the 5,000 m World Champion of 2001, in the

1,500 m. She won in 4:01.85 while Hind Dehiba (France/4:03.05) was

second and Natalja Yevdokimova (Russia/4:03.59) third.

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