As Kenenisa Bekele said himself tonight in the Stadio Olimpico: “I have achieved everything”. Yet, curiously, Ethiopia’s winner of multiple Olympic and World titles made a special effort in the Golden Gala merely to be acknowledged as the fastest 5000m runner of the year.After making his move with 200m to go, Bekele had the 5000m won early in the home straight. A glance up at the screen ahead of him confirmed that he had seen off his challengers yet he denied himself an easy run-in and spurted for the line.“Perfect planning,” Jos Hermens, Bekele’s manager, said as the athlete celebrated his first sub 13-minute clocking of the year but, more important, knocking Kenya’s Eliud Kipchoge off his perch as holder of the World Leading time (12:56.46). Bekele clocked 12:56.23 to become last man standing in the chase for the AF Golden League $1m jackpot.The defeat of Finnish javelin thrower Tero Pitkamaki leaves Bekele as the only man left at the halfway stage in the chase for season-long big money prize while three women – Kerron Stewart (100m), Sanya Richards (400m) and Yelena Isinbayeva (Pole Vault) – remain in contention. Have no doubt, Bekele is taking serious aim.Sunday, July 12, 2009
‘I’m dreaming about this jackpot’
As Kenenisa Bekele said himself tonight in the Stadio Olimpico: “I have achieved everything”. Yet, curiously, Ethiopia’s winner of multiple Olympic and World titles made a special effort in the Golden Gala merely to be acknowledged as the fastest 5000m runner of the year.After making his move with 200m to go, Bekele had the 5000m won early in the home straight. A glance up at the screen ahead of him confirmed that he had seen off his challengers yet he denied himself an easy run-in and spurted for the line.“Perfect planning,” Jos Hermens, Bekele’s manager, said as the athlete celebrated his first sub 13-minute clocking of the year but, more important, knocking Kenya’s Eliud Kipchoge off his perch as holder of the World Leading time (12:56.46). Bekele clocked 12:56.23 to become last man standing in the chase for the AF Golden League $1m jackpot.The defeat of Finnish javelin thrower Tero Pitkamaki leaves Bekele as the only man left at the halfway stage in the chase for season-long big money prize while three women – Kerron Stewart (100m), Sanya Richards (400m) and Yelena Isinbayeva (Pole Vault) – remain in contention. Have no doubt, Bekele is taking serious aim.
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