Born to run, fast and steady

A day after Tirunesh Dibaba took the 10,000m gold, fellow Ethiopians Kenenisa Bekele 27:01.97 and Sileshi Sihine 27:02.77 took gold and silver in the men8217;s event, with the bronze claimed by Kenya8217;s Micah Kogo 27.04.11.

The 100m is a burst of energy, the 10,000m is an endurance feat made possible by strategy and physical capacity. With Jamaican athletes favourites for both the men8217;s and women8217;s 200m, the Beijing Games could see a national assertion on sprints not enjoyed by anyone but the Americans before. An American woman failed to take a medal for the first time since 1984, and before the Jamaican women could address the press, the Americans had lodged a protest, saying their athlete had made a false start, which they claimed should have led to the race being re-run.

With the silver and bronze going to Sherone Simpson and Kerron Stewart on a photofinish both 10.98, Fraser said one of the Jamaican team8217;s secret was reggae power.

The reggae culture of Jamaica has great affinity with Ethiopia, and it was apt that the King took a victory lap too. Bekele, the world record holder in 10,000m set an Olympic record today. But, as is the way with the Ehiopians, his feats are recorded in the shadow of the ever smiling Haile Gebrselassie, perhaps the greatest distance runner of all time.

Gebrselassie could not keep up the pace once the final round began, and finished sixth 27.06.68. But like always, his countrymen waited for him before beginning their victory lap. The pace was too much, said Gebrselassie, who has chosen not to take part in what is now his main event, the marathon. He is asthmatic, and worried about running a long race in the Beijing.

8220;It8217;s okay, it is not a bad result for Gebrselassie,8221; said Bekele. 8220;He is now the best marathon runner. It is not easy for him to run as a 10,000m runner.8221; Gebrselassie had won the 10,000m at Atlanta 1996 and Sydney 2000. He said the Ethiopians had not come out today with a tactic. For most of the race they stayed tucked behind the front-runner. The pace of today8217;s race too did not allow Bekele a repeat of his gesture at Athens, when Bekele slowed down to keep Gebrselassie with him, later saying, 8220;We wanted him with us.8221;

With this result the east Africans consolidated their dominance. In fact, together African men have now won 24 of 33 medals in the 10,000m since 1968. The circle of dominance is actually quite small. Bekele and Dibaba, for example, come from in around a village called Bekoji in Ethiopia along the Great Rift Valley. Gebrselassie8217;s place of birth is said to be just 50 km away.

The 10,000m race is one of acute rivalry between the Ethiopians and the Kenyans. It is listed as an individual event, but the 10,000m demands immense planning between team members, with pace-makers open-heartedly conceding their lead to the deserving competitor.

Today, Bekele said, the Eritreans 8212; among them leading distance runners today 8212; tried to be like pace-makers, and hastened the race. Zersenay Tadese, whose 10,000m bronze at Athens was Eritrea8217;s first Olympic medal, finished fifth tonight.

But in the end, one wondered, is this the last time the ever smiling Gebrselassie, now 35, will be seen at the Olympics. He didn8217;t win, but he got the victory lap he merits.

Shelly-Ann Fraser

Age: 21

Born: Kingston, Jamaica

Career highlights: Gold, 2008 Beijing Olympics, 100m, Silver medallist, 2007 World Championships, Osaka, 4x100m relay, bronze first international medal at the 2005 Carifta Games in Trinidad 038; Tobago

8226;Produced the second-fastest time in Olympic history to take the gold in 10.78sec

8226; Her previous best time was 10.95sec at last month8217;s London Grand Prix.

8226; At June8217;s National Track 038; Field Championship clocked 10.85-second to book her ticket to Beijing

Kenenisa Bekele

Age: 26

Born: Bekoji, Ethiopia

Career highlights: In 10,000m: Gold, Beijing 2008, Athens 2004, 2007 Osaka World Championships, 2005 Helsinki World Championships, 2003 Paris World Championships. In 5,000m: Silver, 2004 Athens.

8226;Produced the second-fastest time in Olympic history to take the gold in 10.78sec

8226; In August 2005, set the 10,000m world record of 26:17.53 in Brussels