Bekele's reasons.

blah blah blah. yada yada yada blah... blah blah...yada!

nah man I think you're right on, makes sense to me

Or maybe her death alone was enough to reduce his motivation. Assuming someone is on drugs without any proof does not seem logical.

I found one thing in your post I agree with.

not normally so conspiratorial wrote:

This isn't very well thought out ........

Let me staighten you out a little-

a) Bekele's finace dropping dead was not that unusual. It's one of the leading causes of deaths among young athletes.

Read this:

b) Remember Bekele winning FOUR (two each the last 2 years) World X-C championships AND the outdoor 10k track championship AND the indoor 3k championship all AFTER his fiancee died??? Oh yeah, you conveniently forgot ALL that. So much for your "he suddenly started tanking after his fiancee died" theory.

c) Is he running that badly?? He's losing some kicker's races because he has become overconfident in his kick. He lost to a 3:26 1500 guy, just like he did against El G BEFORE his fiancee died. Hey,maybe he WON'T learn from his tactical mistakes. But it's not because he is running crappy, or because he used to use drugs, it's because he running crappy tactics...again.

Comprende??

Iance a lot wrote:

nah man I think you're right on, makes sense to me

That guy was a fake.....obviously.

relax,

he was outkicked by a faster 1500m guy...the race unfolded and became a kickers race, and you are not outkicking a 347 miler unless you can run the same or damn close. considering last week was his first 1500m race ever, it just shows that he needs to work on the shorter races so that if he races against a guy like Lagat again, who is almost as fast at 1500 as El G was, hell be a bit more ready...bottom line is, longer guys cant outkick the shorter guys if they are both there at the end and they are both rolling. great run though. but 51 for the last 400 is turnover baby.

not normally so conspiratorial wrote:

but has anyone thought about the timing of Bekele's recent vulnerability? Granted the man is incredibly talented naturally, but his world records and overall performance in previous seasons was nothing short of unheard of. After his young runner fiancee died in training it seems like he has been much more mortal. .

I don't think that the facts support your speculation. Bekele hasn't shown recent vulnerability. His record shows that he rarely loses, and if he does, it's not by much, and only loses to incredible athletes.

This year he lost to Lagat(a 3:26 man) twice and Songok once.

Last year he only lost twice, to Geneti and Cragg, indoors and immediatly after his fiance's death. That would be understandable.

In 2004 he only lost once, to El Guerrouj.

In 2003 he lost 3 times, once to El Guerrouj, once to Chebii , and once to Kipchoge.

Throw out the Geneti and Cragg losses for obvious reasons. Bekele has only lost to Lagat, El Guerrouj, Chebii, Kipchoge and Songok. That isn't vulnerablity, that's incredible!

2006 3 losses (Songok, twice to Lagat)

1500 m

3:33.08 1r2 DNG Stockholm 25 Jul

One Mile

4:01.57i 2 Millrose New York NY 3 Feb

3000 m

7:54.85i 1h2 WC Moskva 10 Mar

7:39.32i 1 WC Moskva 12 Mar

Two Miles

8:05.12i 1 Norw Union Birmingham 18 Feb

5000 m

12:58.22 2 Bislett Oslo 2 Jun

12:51.32 1 Gaz Saint-Denis 8 Jul

12:51.44 1 GGala Roma 14 Jul

13:00.04 2 Norw Union London 28 Jul

2005 (2 losses Geneti, Cragg)

3000 m

7:41.42i 2 BIG Boston MA 29 Jan

7:34.57 1 Athletissima Lausanne 5 Jul

7:32.59 1 WK Zürich 19 Aug

7:36.36 1 Golden GP Shanghai 17 Sep

Two Miles

8:15.49i 2 Norw Union Birmingham 18 Feb

5000 m

12:40.18 1 Gaz Saint-Denis 1 Jul

12:55.55 1 Norw Union London 22 Jul

10000 m

26:28.72 1 FBKG Hengelo 29 May

27:08.33 1 WC Helsinki 8 Aug

26:17.53 1 VD Bruxelles 26 Aug

2004 (1 loss to El Guerrouj)

2000 m

5:05.69+ 1 Norw Union Gateshead 27 Jun

3000 m

7:30.77i 1 Sparkassen Stuttgart 31 Jan

7:47.27+I 1 Norw Union Birmingham 20 Feb

7:41.31 1 Norw Union Gateshead 27 Jun

5000 m

12:49.60i WR 1 Norw Union Birmingham 20 Feb

13:34.1hA 1 NC Addis Ababa 8 May

12:37.35 WR 1 FBKG Hengelo 31 May

13:21.16 1h1 OG Athína 25 Aug

13:14.59 2 OG Athína 28 Aug

10000 m

26:20.31 WR 1 GSpike Ostrava 8 Jun

27:05.10 1 OG Athína 20 Aug

2003 (3 losses Chebii, Kipchoge, El Guerrouj)

3000 m

7:36.98 1 WAF Monaco 13 Sep

5000 m

13:47.3hA 2 NC Addis Ababa 10 May

12:52.26 1 Bislett Oslo 27 Jun

13:06.05 1 Athletissima Lausanne 1 Jul

12:57.34 2 GGala Roma 11 Jul

13:38.03 1h1 WC Saint-Denis 28 Aug

12:53.12 3 WC Saint-Denis 31 Aug

13:26.16 1 AAG Abuja 15 Oct

10000 m

26:53.70 1 FBKG Hengelo 1 Jun

26:49.57 1 WC Saint-Denis 24 Aug

I thought this thread was about his reasons for finishing the 1500 in that bullshit way. I really admire Bekele, but it is difficult to like him. He doesn't have personality like El G, who you just wanted to hug. I'm finding that I like it when Bekele loses.

Party boy ain't got time to train!

dirkdigglerbaby wrote:

he was outkicked by a faster 1500m guy...the race unfolded and became a kickers race, and you are not outkicking a 347 miler unless you can run the same or damn close.

"347 miler" ?? Lagat has run a 3:26 1500. That equates to around a 3:43 mile.

gebrselassie won 54 straight races. THAT is incredible. in 5 years he only lost to daniel "i'm crazy on drugs this season, jesus, i ran 720 fa'chrissakes' komen, in a world record race.

He's discovered the more carnal and indulgent pleasures of life . . . ok, I'm just joking about the former.

Lagat's mile PR is 3:47. That would make him a 3:47.

The Angel of Death wrote:

Lagat's mile PR is 3:47. That would make him a 3:47.

whoops, meant to say "that would make him a 3:47 MILER"

Who cares about his mile. He has run 3:26, 3:47 is slow compared to that.

I don't believe Komen was on drugs. He just maxxed out his ability by training incredibly hard in Kim's group for 2 years. And then promptly burned out as a result. The kid was sick even as a junior. The main reason Geb lost was that the Zurich '96 race was right after the Atlanta Olympics - Komen was in peak form and rested and ready to go specifically for this race, while Geb's feet were still bloody and blistered over from the 10000m heats and final, and nevermind the time change. In the HaileG book it says he wasn't too psyched for the prospect of racing Komen so soon without recovering properly but gave it a go anyway...

[quote]crazy 8 wrote:

I don't believe Komen was on drugs. [quote]

then you're not too bright. people on drugs still train their asses off. doesn't make them one bit cleaner. When will you people wake up?

when will you wake up? why is that Komen is on drugs and HaileG isn't? got any proof that Komen ever was on drugs. No you don't. so your guess is as good as mine. and saying "when will you people ever wake up" is pretty empty when you have nothing to back it up. suck on it.

BEKELE LOST TO AN AMERICAN!