Kenenisa Bekele: how soon will he totally annihilate the distance WR's?

Consider the following statements regarding Kenny,

"Oh, Kenenisa will run only run one event - the 10K"

"Oh he just had achillis problem and he may not double"

"I will only run if the EAF allowes me to do so"

"bla bla bla....."

I would submit to you all of the above quotes are nothing but the continuing strategy (call it psychological deception) of the ETH team to keep the rest of the world guessing and when the day comes, boom! Kenny-boy would take everyone off guard in both events! Just mark my words, we have seen this for how many times now? 5 times already!

Actually, according to http://www.ethiopiarun.org/, Kenenisa will run both the 10k and 5k.

Yeah thats what I said over a month ago when he said he wouldn't and yes he is currently in even better form than when he set his world records!

VIPAM

Bart,

You are absolutely right.

I hear he is injured and may not run either!!

i trust vipam cos what ever he says about african distance running is uncannily accurate.

if vipam says bekele will do the triple jump then i would not be surprised to see kenny hop skipping and jumping into the athens sand pit!

Everyone is ignoring his last race which was a less than convincing display over 3km in Gateshead - I was at that race and he looked uncomfortable - not with with pace but he was definately grimacing - somthing was hurting

Where will this thread end? When Bekele retires??

strike me

Thank you and thats was very funny!

VIPAM

I just found this thread. But I'm too lazy to go back to page 1 to start reading. Guess I'll just stick here on page 19 and try to guess what came before. I guess I could put out there the Kenny is a smooth runner and never really looks fazed, no matter how fast he's running.I know I'm not contributing much here by saying that. Like I said, I'm pretty lazy. Thanks for reading this far, that's all for now.

NativeSon wrote:

Where will this thread end? When Bekele retires??

Bekele is the new messiah of the track

Paris: Kenenisa Bekele is definitely not Jesus as his manager Jos Hermens rightfully said, but when it comes to the track or cross country courses he is very definitely a celestial being.

The Olympics should frank the extraordinary rise of another Ethiopian running phenomenon who hasn’t quite managed to wipe off the permanent smile etched on his great predecessor Haile Gebrselassie’s face despite erasing his two world records in the 5,000m and 10,000m this season.

Add to those feats his achievement of winning both the short and long races in the last three World Cross Country Championships, and the Olympic 10,000m title appears little more than a formality for the 22-year-old, who took the world title in the distance last year in Paris in only his second run at 10km. “Kenenisa isn’t Jesus because he can’t walk on water, but on almost any other surface he is unbeatable,” said Hermens, who numbers Gebrselassie among his discoveries.

An injury that forced him out of the Lausanne meeting in early July appears to have healed and now the only dilemma facing him is whether he attempts the double in Athens, something he failed to land last year in the Worlds when he finished third in the 5,000m behind Eliud Kipchoge and Hicham El Guerrouj.

While Hermens is keen for his young star not to do the double — he refused to allow Gebrselassie to do so in the 1997 World Championships in Athens because officials wouldn’t water the track — the Ethiopian federation are adamant he should try to emulate the last man to do the double, his compatriot Marius Yifter in the Moscow Olympics in 1980.

“To achieve something that not even Haile managed would be quite extraordinary,” said Bekele. “And to emulate Yifter, well that would be dream like, scarcely credible!” added the athlete who has built up an unbeaten streak of 20 over all surfaces.

The injury Kenenisa reportedly had in July is fully healed and he recently had several great workouts; therefore, the most likely sweep at the Olympics is the men's 10000m!

http://news.bbc.co.uk/media/images/39439000/jpg/_39439587_ephiopiangetty.jpg

VIPAM

Vipam,

Your recent absence from this forum has been noticed greatly, dude, don't do that again. I realize some highschoolers and/or immature people attempted to shut you up from sharing your well-thought out opinions. But don't give them any room. They just have to see the pages of this thread to see how far we have come and how much of your opinion has been proven valid.

Again, your current prediction, regarding Kenny, just as in the past, is on the mark. But I wonder if he could pull it off both the 5/10K races? I bet, E Kipchoge would like to repeat it here as he did in Paris.

I hate to say this because I'm a big fan of Kenenisa, but Eliud Kipchoge has shown me that he is capable of threatening and possibly breaking Kenenisa's 5000m WR if that was his goal. Eliud is better than even his 2003 form and his faster recent sub 12:50 clocking. He stayed away from the 5000m this year but I think he will be Kenenisa biggest and most formiable obstacle in Kenenisa quest for the double. I know Kenenisa is in GREAT FORM from updates and research but I don't know how great (I know his potential) of form for Eliud.

VIPAM

Geb is going for bronze, as in Edmonton.

I'm going with:

Kenny, Sihine, Geb

Kenny, Sihine/ Kipchoge. I think the battle will be for silver here. Sihine lost to Kipchoge, but that was 2-3 months ago after a burning 10. Even with the 10 fatigue I think it will be a close battle between Sihine and Kipchoge.

Just a gut feeling on Geb unfortunately. He is not hanging with the guys during intervals, London goodbuy, Rotterdam marathon...all spells no match to Bekele and Sihine.

[quote]Vipam wrote:

MacKenzie

Kenenisa Bekele isn't a fool he knows he is capable of running and possibly winning both the 5000m and 10000m at Athens. Kenenisa wants strongly to etch his name in the history books and that includes doing things Haile hasn't; therefore, the double is part of his plans.

As far as rivals I see Hicham and Eluid more of a rival then Abraham Chebii. Abraham is one of the greatest kickers of all-time but how fast can he run a super fast 5000m and still utilize his kick (could he do so at 12:43-12:47 pace)-he haven't shown the speed of Hicham or Eluid in shorter distances. Eluid Kipchoge recently showed that he have tremendous 1500m speed and therefore along with Hicham could improve more in the 5000m-maybe Abraham could as well.

Bekele's "double"

World 5000 and 10,000m record holder Kenenisa Bekele has been picked to run in the 5000 and the 10,000m races.

Bekele, who stated two weeks ago that he will double in the Greek capital, has again reaffirmed his decision to run both races. "After discussions with the Federation, we have decided that I will run both the 5000 and 10,000m races in Athens," Bekele said. "It will be difficult, but I believe that I am capable of doing it."

His statement is backed by Dube Julo, EAF Executive Committee member, who says Bekele's double is a "certainty". "The Technical and Executive Committees of the Federation have agreed that Kenenisa (Bekele) will run in both races in Athens," he said. "We have told him about this and he has agreed to our decision. This is unless he encounters any major health problems."

Vipam check your hotmail account you lazy bastard!

The matchup in the 5000m is going to be one of the best races of the Olympics, Kenenisa and Hicham will be doubling and Eliud will be fresh. I think Eliud is one of the best runners at the Olympics, but Hicham and Kenenisa will expect him this tim and thus the war will be on. I expect Kenenisa to win and complete his double but it will be probably one of the greatest 5000m races ever!

VIPAM

Vipam,

Where does Sihine fit into this picture? Sihine 2004 is a much improved model over Sihine 2003.