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

Yet again, Bekele supplants Gebrselassie

Kenenisa Bekele en route to his 4:49.99 world best for 2000m

When Haile Gebrselassie set a world 2000m record of 4:52.86 at Birmingham’s National Indoor Arena in 1998 it was considered a fine mark and a record that would last for years – not least because the distance is not often attempted. But Bekele made mincemeat of Geb’s figures this afternoon when he clocked 4:49.99 to provide the highlight of an action-packed programme.

Bekele was paced through the first kilometre in 2:25.82, shadowed by Kenya’s Shadrack Korir, and set off on his own with three laps to go. He clipped through the bell with a five metre lead and stormed home to eclipse the record by almost three seconds.

Others may have thought it was tough, but there was never any doubt in Bekele’s mind, as the Ethiopian said afterwards: “I am very happy to break the World (best) but I knew before today that I was going to do it. I’ve been feeling so good in training. Now I am going to Stockholm next week where I hope to break the World 3000m record.”

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As solid as the new 2000m WR is I think Bekele is capable of slicing alittle more if he was pushed to 4:47.5. The indoor 3000m WR is also within his capablities this year with good pacing and no major incident (spiking).

i do not think he is going to break 3000mr indoor. Need little time and long trainnig

what if... bekele ended up being a good 1500m & 800m runner? Wouldn't that be crazy? What do you think his ultimate times would be in those? Think he has any record-breaking potential?

He might have an outside shot at the 1500m and mile indoor records. Geb was close, and I think Bekele could end up with better times in every distance than Geb ran.

He has no shot at the outdoor 1500m or mile records, and even less of a chance of breaking records at and distance less than 1500m.

There are VERY FEW 800m and 1500m runners who truly have the potential to break the 800m and 1500m World Records outdoors. The indoor records are softer than the outdoor records and Bekele have the potential but not willing to put in the time/training for the 1500m WR indoors.

Could he get either outdoors, I think not! If he was to train for either of those events as his PRIMARY event for a FEW years: 1:42.8-1:43.2 and 3:28.7-3:29.5 would be a range I feel his max effort would take him.

any chance k. bekele runs a half marathon maybe lisbon march 18th, or stramilana april 2nd? if he does not run cross country on march 24th, but i think he will run world cross country, i know he said he wont but a person does have a right to change his mind.

As I said he could not make it.

It is worth to appreciate what kind of guy komen was when he run 7.24 for 3000mr indoor and 7.20 for 3000 mr out door.

You can look at the physical appearance of middle distance runner like EL G, KOMEN, LAGAT… they all are tall and cylindrical where as haile, bekele, selishi are very short compare to the above name. Therefore in addition to their effort nature also makes a difference.

I do not think bekele will break komen’s world record

mesfin is that why ethiopians, many of them small by other countries standards have not really made an impact in the 1500 and steeple, although in the steeple i think berhane adere being tall and still running well can smash the world record in the steeplechase, and the tall gebremariam probably wont make the ethiopian team in the 5 and 10k anymore, but he could probably be one of the top 3 to 5steeplechasers in the world, also instead of dropping to 1500 and 3k should bekele move up to half marathons and marathons after the olympics as he like most ethiopians seem to be better suited?

Berhane hadere never attmpt the 3000mr and she is to old for middle distance.

when we come to gebregziber, he should be a taxi driver rather than an athlete

mesfin i hope i dont get everyone mad at me for not talking about k. bekele, but why the animosity towards gebremariam true he cant beat k. bekele, s. shine t. bekele or probably a number of others, but he is still a 23 year old runner who has already run 1252 for 5k and 2653 for 10k, i admit he is inconsistent, but since he is tall and ethiopia does not have a top steepler maybe he can try the steeple. besides if anyone should have animosity towards gebremariam it should be me as i totally adore the girl he married werknesh kidane (hahaha)

ZEREGNA

Are you lost? wrote:

You are actually surprised, even though a few of us already emphasized that trying to "hijack" Vipam's topic by mentioning your favorite athlete's agenda was off-topic and in poor taste.

It is rather obvious that you did this because of the immense popularity of Vipam's thread. Not too cool at all, Doug... a very immature thing to do, to put it politely.

you sound like an uptight bastard who constantly has a rod up his ass.... Not too cool at all, "are you lost?".

he is tigrayan, but i dont think he is involved with politics he just wants to run fast?

tommorrow is jan meda the qualifier for the ethiopian world cross team. keninisaa bekele does not have to run being defending world champ should be a great race, eitherway when march 12th at midnight comes around look for k. bekele to be onthe list of 12, 9 of which will run and i think he will run march 24th.

no kenenisa,

ethiopia will score the lowest point since the emergence of kenenisa apprance.

no problem for senior woman

Championshipshttp://allafrica.com/stories/200702210371.html

Kenenisa Bekele may run the World X-Country Championships in Kenya. I said he would run and would be stunned if he didn't tow the line if he is still healthy when the starter's gun goes off!

When will the Kenyans learn to keep their mouths shut and let the results speak for them? Any of the Ethiopian top women are just as much favorites as Kenenisa Bekele.

KENYAS EAGER TO TEST BEKELE

The news that Ethiopian Kenenisa Bekele could run in the World Cross Country Championships opens another chapter on whether Kenyans can shake off his challenge this time round.

Bekele had ruled out taking part in any other cross-country event including next month’s event in Mombasa.

Bekele’s manager Jos Hermens was quoted saying Bekele is currently in shape and was keen on the March 24 event in Mombasa.

Hermens said if Bekele does not compete in Mombasa, he would have thrown away a chance of winning the sixth consecutive title.

The arrival of Bekele at the coastal town of Mombasa could revive his rivalry between him and Moses Mosop, a heavyweight in his own right.

The two last clashed in the 10,000m race at the 2005 World Championships in Helsinki, Finland.

In Helsinki Bekele took gold while Mosop settled for bronze.

But according to Mosop that was then and in any case "I kicked late. In Mombasa I do not really care who will be around. All I want to do is to run my race. Trials are usually difficult but I believe with good training I will still rule irrespective of who will be present," he said after clocking 38.40.0 minutes to win the 12km race.

Indeed going by Mosop’s performance on Saturday, he is capable of anything.

He is not the kind of a runner who will let go easily. This is why he earned himself a nickname ‘Engine Kubwa’ (Big Engine).

Second placed Gideon Ngatuny tried to push Mosop in the last 150m and as usual ‘big engine’ proved that there was something left in his reservoir.

This is Kenya’s chance to recapture the 12km title they last won in 1999 courtesy of Paul Tergat.

With the home ground advantage and the strong squad named over the weekend, the sky should be the limit for the locals.

With the likes of Mosop, Ngatuny, Hosea Macharinyang and former world 5000m champion, Eliud Kipchoge, Bekele’s fate could be sealed in Mombasa.

Kipchoge pulled out after an impressive show in the first nine kilometers but was still given a slot to proceed to training at the Kigari Teachers College in Embu.

The men’s 12km aside, there is renewed hope in the women’s 8km. The event has been elusive since 1994 when Helen Chepng’eno won the title in Hungary.

This time round, there seem to be hope at the end of the tunnel. Florence Kiplagat has proved a fighter over the time and has vowed never to give the Ethiopians a chance.

" I am in good shape and we will go all the way with whoever thinks is fit to take gold," she said.

this time they may have advantage over thier on country. however, if kenenisa compete at all kenyan chance will be 1 in 100.

Have you even seen the race? The pacing sucked royally. I`m not sure he would have gottten it, but it would have been close. Don`t pretend you know every athlete`s limit.