Bekele’s Mombasa nightmare is dispelled!

With the awful memories of his Mombasa debacle no doubt lingering somewhere in the back of his mind Kenenisa Bekele withstood the repeated surges of the man who supplanted him as World Cross Country Champion five months ago to win his third consecutive World 10,000m title.

By no means was this an easy victory however. Many athletes wilted under the oppressive heat and humidity and Zerseney Tadesse of Eritrea, the 2007 World Cross Country and Road Running champion, himself was shut out of the medals after gamely piling on the pressure from the start. Bekele was both relieved and satisfied with his performance spending more time in the mixed zone talking to media in both English and Amharic, than the 27:05.90 it took him to cover the 25 laps of the Nagai stadium.

“It was very tough, very hard, especially with 3 laps left when I was very tired,” Bekele revealed, his shoulders wrapped in the Ethiopian flag someone had tossed onto the track at the finish. “I told Sileshi to follow the Kenyan athlete because I am very tired I am tired to change the pace with this guy. After one lap left I picked it up again. It’s not easy to run in this weather, it’s very tough.”

“But, three times, absolutely, I am world champion I am very happy.”

Among the well wishers waiting to see him was his agent Jos Hermens of Global Sports Communications who heaped praise on the athlete. “Today he was winning with his head, this is totally different from other wins,” Hermens said. “It shows also how strong mentally after Mombasa he is. The time of 27:05 is maybe World record pace in normal weather. It’s fantastic. Sileshi did everything right, Incredible.”

After crossing the finish line Bekele carried not only an Ethiopian flag around the track but also a sign announcing the approaching Ethiopian millennium. A celebration is planned Monday at the Ethiopian embassy in Osaka for both the millennium which begins on 12 September and for Bekele’s gold medal performance. In fact the Ethiopian ambassador to Japan squeezed into the mixed zone to congratulate Bekele on his victory.

Hermens has confirmed that Bekele will race in the Brussels Golden League meeting on 14 September. Though he was reluctant to call it a World record attempt he did acknowledge that it was a ‘waste of time’ for Bekele to go to Brussels just to run 26:30. Later in the evening after finishing doping control the 25-year-old admitted he would attempt to beat his World 10,000m record of 26:17.53 on the same track he set it two years ago.

While most athletes arrived in Osaka with plenty of time to acclimatize to the weather conditions Bekele and Sihine flew in from Addis Ababa just two days before the 10,000m final. “They come late because they think that if they are too long from altitude they lose too many (oxygen carrying) red blood cells,” Hermens explains. “It’s an important thing for them so there is no use to fight it.”

Hermens also revealed that Bekele has got over the grief he experienced at the loss of his fiance Alem Tachele two years ago. He has been socialising more. And he has big plans to build a sports centre just outside Addis.

Recently he acquired a piece of land on which he hopes to build a track and other facilities including a swimming pool. A meeting is scheduled in Brussels, the day after the Golden League meeting there, with construction experts to discuss the project.

At the post event press conference Bekele was asked about a possible 5000m-10,000m double at the Beijing Olympics. He smiled a little.

“After Osaka my big goal is the Beijing Olympics,” Bekele reveals. “Now maybe I can try some World record. I wanted to win in Osaka, I am happy and I will celebrate. I am not sure about (the 5000m- 10,000m double in Beijing) I am not sure.”

“Three years ago I missed being double champion. If I can I would love to try to do that again at the next Olympics but I don’t think it’s necessary for me to decide at this point.”

After spending an hour in doping control Bekele left Nagai Stadium with an Ethiopian team official. Chatting with a reporter as he waited for a bus to take him to the team hotel he was clearly reveling in his success. And so he should. This was a hard fought victory which proved just how tough Kenenisa Bekele really is.(IAAF)

The Life and Soul of Manchester utd Retired!

With an outstretched right boot, Ole Solskjaer wrote his name into Manchester United legend. Using the poacher’s instinct that has served him so well, he latched on to Teddy Sheringham’s nod down and diverted the ball into the roof of the Bayern Munich net. “And Solskjaer has won it”. The recording of Clive Tyldesley’s commentary from that night at the Nou Camp still sends a shudder down every United fan’s spine. Some even wake up to it as the recorded message on Manchester United alarm clocks. Sheringham had equalised just moments before in injury time as United completed the most remarkable comeback in European Cup history to lift the trophy in 1999.

Few could have been more deserving than Solskjaer of that 2-1 win in Barcelona. But that is not the only reason he was adored by United fans. In an age of football celebrities, Solskjaer has always been a man who exudes humility. Married with two children, you will rarely see him pictured in Manchester’s nightspots or in glossy magazines. He is simply a footballer and family man. Once dubbed The Baby-faced Assassin, it seems almost inconceivable that at 34 his career is at an end.

He has undergone intense hard work in the gym, numerous operations, false dawns and heartache. Now he has finally had to surrender to the knee problems that have blighted him since September 2003.

Solskjaer had just scored United’s third goal in a 5-0 win over Panathinaikos in the Champions League when his knee went seven minutes later. It seemed innocuous enough as he chased on to a Paul Scholes pass. Solskjaer said: “My thigh bone and shin had knocked together and I got a hole in my cartilage. “It just goes to show that you have to enjoy what you’re doing because the smallest things can cause the biggest problems.” Since then, he only played a handful of games until last season when it seemed he had finally shaken off the problem.

In that campaign, Solskjaer made 30 appearances, 14 of them starts, scoring 11 goals. He was the club’s third-top scorer behind Wayne Rooney and Cristiano Ronaldo. But, in June, he reported feeling some discomfort while training in Norway.

Solskjaer needed another minor knee operation — and this time it would be the last.
After much soul-searching with his family and manager Alex Ferguson, he has brought down the curtain on a brilliant career.

During the darkest days of his rehabilitation, Solskjaer gave an insight into what wearing the United No 20 shirt again meant to him. He said: “It means everything to me to wear this red shirt again. That’s all that matters to me. I have seen myself playing again on many nights — but then I woke up.”

Life will initially be tough for a man who adored playing at Old Trafford and who was loved back in equal measure. One banner at the ground reads ‘2OLEgend’. His name has been sung consistently through his injury problems — something that has kept his spirits up. He once said: “Obviously, it makes you feel proud”. “I think I now realise even more what that goal in the Nou Camp meant when I listen to the crowd.”

‘You are my Solskjaer’ to the tune of ‘You are My Sunshine’ and ‘Who Put the Ball in the Germans’ Net’, are two of the most popular songs on the Stretford End.

You can also bet the fans will be in full voice again on Saturday when United face Sunderland in the first game since Solskjaer decided to call it a day.

No doubt the club will bring him out on to the pitch for a final bow.

Solskjaer previously said: “There is something special about this place.

“I’ve always been the sort of person that when I feel for something, it sticks to my heart. Here, I felt welcome from the first day I arrived. The gaffer has been great to me. “The club, the players — I couldn’t ask for any more.

“Every player that leaves here says you don’t know what you’re leaving until you’ve left because this is the place to be. “This club means so much to me and I just feel totally at home here.”

As a child, Solskjaer trained as a wrestler — his father was a Norwegian national champion. For someone so slight, he showed incredible determination and that has served him well throughout his years at United. He was signed from Norwegian side Molde in July 1996 after United missed out on Alan Shearer, who opted for Newcastle.
When Tottenham offered £5.5million for him in 1998, Ferguson left the final decision up to the player. United fans and Ferguson are thankful Solskjaer decided to stick it out.

As well as starring for United for a decade he also made 67 appearances for his country, scoring 23 goals.

Solskjaer appeared for Norway at both the France 98 World Cup and Euro 2000.

His glorious career brought him 10 major medals for United — six Premier League titles, two FA Cups, a League Cup and, of course, the European Cup.

Once when asked why he was so loved at United, Solskjaer’s reply was typically humble. He said: “I suppose because the fans know I have always given 100 per cent and I have done the best that I could do with the talent that I was given.”

He did much more than that — and Manchester United will never forget him for it.

Solskjaer is expected to be offered a coaching role with the club and will be used as a worldwide ambassador.(The Sun Online)

Clichy keen to add to his experience!

Despite being only 22, Gaël Clichy, is alongside Kolo Toure and Gilberto Silva as one of the most experienced performers at Arsenal - the club he joined in 2002 from French side Cannes. As perhaps the best left back in the Premier League, Clichy has not only got his eyes on winning the English title but also on playing for 'Les Bleus'. ESPNSoccernet met him in London.

Question: In your 2-1 win against Fulham and in the 2-0 win against Sparta, Arsenal seemed to display a new mental stability towards the end of the matches.

Clichy: 'It just goes to show that we will never ever give in. Things have changed in comparison to the last few seasons. In the past two years we failed to have a true winning attitude at the start of the season and that cost us dearly. Last year we lost seven points in the first three matches of the season. We gave up more easily towards the end of the matches simply because we weren't focused enough. We especially had problems against the lesser sides. After a win in Manchester you simply cannot allow yourself to go and lose points against Wigan. But this has been a big learning experience for us and today we finish the game with the same focus as we start it.'

Question: Thanks to your 2-0 win in Prague you took a huge step towards qualifying for the UEFA Champions League again.

Clichy:: 'We knew that in terms of technical ability we were far better than them. Of course we knew that they had some weapons we had to look out for. Sparta are an extremely physical side. A lot of teams think that they can just break us down on our lack of physique because we are a young side. It is like that every week in England. But we are not the same Arsenal that you have seen the last two seasons. We have moved on.'

Question: Does the team feel more at ease in the Emirates Stadium now than in the beginning?

Clichy:: I never had any difficulties but yes, as a team, we had problems. The trouble we created for ourselves last season was not based on the feeling of playing in a new stadium but instead on individual errors. I made a huge mistake at home against West Ham and we lost 1-0. And I said to myself: 'It is your mistake, not the others''. Everybody must take responsibility for himself.

Question: With the departures of Thierry Henry and David Dein plus the uncertainty around the future of Arsene Wenger, are Arsenal still going through a crisis?

Clichy:: It's true that the last two seasons have been very difficult. In every sport there is a constant cry for titles and trophies. And at that level we have disappointed everybody. For the club it has been very difficult to see players like Vieira, Henry and Ljungberg leave year after year. Do we need new players? Will we miss Henry? It is up to Arsene to answer that question. Players don't get mixed up in those questions. Everyone has his role to play. It is up to the coach to put the best side on the pitch and it is up to us to play the best football. If everybody works together, why shouldn't we be able to win the Champions League?

Question: Will the departures of some of your more established stars allow the youngsters in your squad to develop quicker?

Clichy:: It has encouraged us to hand out responsibilities to more players than we have done in the past. Previously, when we were losing 1-0 we would just trust Pat (Vieira), Dennis (Bergkamp) or Thierry (Henry) to get us out of trouble. There was nothing unusual about that because they were and are still some of the best players in the world. In a team the old ones must lead by example without letting the youngsters remain in the shadow. But it doesn't always work like that. They were so good so a lot of our players often hid behind their talent. So perhaps their departure was a blessing in disguise. They are not here anymore, so there are no options. We have to get the job done with the means we have.

Question: You are only 22 years old, but you are still one of the most experienced players in the Arsenal squad

Clichy:: 'I have been at the club now for five years. I was one of four players (Kolo Toure, Gilberto Silva, Jens Lehmann) who became known as 'The Invincibles') when we won the title in 2004 without losing a match. I try to hand over my experience and pass on what Robert Pires, Thierry Henry or Sylvain Wiltord taught me.'

Question: Arsene Wenger said at the beginning of this season that you are ripe to compete for a spot in the French national side this year.

Clichy:: My first priority is to secure my space in the Arsenal starting-eleven. But I am working hard in practice sessions to get my chance to play for France. But I am patient. When (Raymond) Domenech decides that it is time, I am ready. At the moment there are players that are better qualified than me (Abidal and Evra). But I will continue to work at getting my chance.(ESPN)

Mestawet Tufa-Another Hope for Ethiopian Athletics Team!

Of the few things that irritated Ethiopian runner Mestawet Tufa in the two years prior to 2007, the mention of the words 10,000m definitely topped the list.“I hated the mention of the event,” Tufa says. “Five years ago when I competed for the first time in the event in Addis Ababa, I was lapped by five or six runners and finished seventh.” Instead of working hard and getting better at the event, Tufa chose to stay away from the event until this year when she ‘gambled’ on a decision to return at the 36th Ethiopian Athletics Championships in Addis Ababa.

It has proven to be a masterstroke of a decision that has since seen her take the national title, run a world leading time (31:00.47 in Valenswaard, Netherlands) at the distance to secure her place in Ethiopia’s team for the 11th IAAF World Championships in Osaka, and storm past world class challengers to win the All African Games title in Algiers, Algeria.

More significantly, however, it has put her in contention for a medal when the world’s top distance runners line up for the women’s 10,000m in the Japanese coastal city.“I am happy that I made the decision to try the 10,000m,” she says. “It has given me the best year of my career.”

Before her career shift, Tufa boasted a number of significant performances to her name in youth and junior athletics with her 3000m silver in the 2001 World youth championships in Debrecen, Hungary, and a fifth place finish over the 3000m at the 2000 World Junior Championships in Santiago, Chile the most noteworthy results in her earlier years.It was a bright opening to an international career that had always promised so much since she joined the Ethiopian club system initially with the Muger Cement sports club.

Born in Bekoji, home to some of Ethiopia’s world class running talents like the Bekele brothers and the Dibaba sisters, Tufa, like Kenenisa Bekele, is the second child in a family of nine children. And like Bekele, her parents tilled the land three times a year for cash and subsistence crops.“I have never noticed the resemblance,” she says. “But now that you mentioned it, I was also born in the same village as Kenenisa which is a one-hour run from the centre of Bekoji. I also went to the same school as Kenenisa and was introduced to the sport in Physical Education (P.E) classes by Coach Sentayehu Eshetu [the same coach who first spotted Kenenisa’s speed when he trained for football matches].”

But Tufa was not easily won over by the lure of the sport early on. “I was extremely shy,” she says. “I was embarrassed for changing from skirts to running shorts and used to get punished in school for it. It was one day when I won a small race, I don’t even remember the distance, that I showed interest. I remember telling my father that I would be the next Derartu Tulu.”

Despite her initial enthusiasm, it took a year before Tufa was convinced that running would be her chosen destiny in life. “After winning a race in Bekoji, I was selected to represent the zone in the Oromiya regional championships,” she says. “I won that race in Assela and entered the Ethiopian cross country championships representing the region. I finished tenth overall, but finished first in the division for regional runners.”

Her performances quickly caught the attention of the top clubs in Ethiopia. Tezazu Wubshet of the Oromiya Prisons sports club even offered her to stay at his home and help her train. “I escaped from his house and went back home to my mother,” she says. “I was homesick and did not realize the importance of running at the time.”

At the end, Tolosa Kotu, current national team coach and then Muger Cement sports club head coach, convinced her to join his club. She would only stay less than a year before joining her current club Omedla. “I liked the colour of their running jersey,” she says referring to Omedla’s bright yellow track tops. “I also lived and trained with runners of the club and had always dreamt of joining them.”

Tufa competed successfully for Omedla before she was selected for the national team in 2000. After her successes in Santiago and Debrecen, she had looked to follow on the success trail of Dibaba, Defar, and other Ethiopian runners when she started her senior year in 2004, but that was exactly when her injury nightmares started.“I had won the 5000m in the Addis Ababa Municipal Championships that year,” she says. “But a week before the Ethiopian championships, I suffered a knee injury. I have never been the same since then. I had treatment on the injured both in Ethiopia and overseas, but I have not been able to return back to form in the following years.”

After many starts and stops in her career, Tufa finally got the consistency and fitness she had craved for so long last year when she first qualified for the world cross country championships in Fukuoka, Japan, and announced herself on the senior stage with a seventh place finish in the long course.“Getting my health back was very important for me,” she says. “I was able to train hard over an extended period without feeling any pains. That was the key to my good performance in Fukuoka.”

She had run well over the roads and the cross country this year before making her winning return to the 10,000m in May. But after running a career best of 14:51.72 in Hengelo, she then suffered a recurrence of the injury that had plagued an early part of her career. “I had arranged to run in Valenswaard, Netherlands,” she recalls. “But I started to feel the pain; I had given up hope of making the race. However, it was Haile Gebrselassie who advised me to run despite my injury problems. I thank him now because of the result.”

The result was victory and a world leading 31:00.27 who guaranteed her place in Ethiopia’s team for Osaka. A month later, she followed up her fast time with victory over Kenyan Edith Masai in the All-African Games 10000m final.“When I trained in Addis Ababa, I knew in my heart that I would do well in Algiers,” she says. “I decided to run to my strengths in Algiers. I decided to kick with 800m to go. Our coaches and Ethiopian spectators thought I was really crazy and miscalculated the laps because it is not usual for Ethiopian runners to sprint for so long. But it paid off and I am delighted with the victory.”

Her victory has put her among the favourites to grab a medal in Osaka and perhaps push compatriot and defending champion Tirunesh Dibaba to the line. But the 23-year old is not ready to heap her prospects.“This will be my first major competition,” she says. “I want to do well and make a good impression. I do not want to set targets like medals or victories at this moment.”(IAAF-by Elshadai Negash)

Ethiopia names squad of 33 for Osaka 2007!

Double World 5000m and one-time World 10,000m champion Tirunesh Dibaba will defend both her titles as the Ethiopian Athletics Federation (EAF) announced its strong squad of 33 athletes for the 11th IAAF World Championships in Osaka, Japan. The squad includes star names like Kenenisa Bekele, Meseret Defar, and Meselech Melkamu and ten athletes who will make their World Championships debut in the Japanese coastal city.

The pick of the selection will bring stars Tirunesh Dibaba and Meseret Defar as they race each other for first time since September 2006. Tirunesh Dibaba qualifies as the defending champion and will come up against her compatriot Meseret Defar in a repeat of the epic Golden League showdowns of 2006. While Dibaba has focused mainly on training and limited competition, Defar has enjoyed a phenomenal season where she sliced nearly eight seconds off the World 5000m record in Oslo and took victory in the All-African Games 5000m final. Her closest opponent on that occasion, Meselech Melkamu, will continue to knock the door on the top two with Gelete Burka also lying in the wings.

Ethiopian women took the first four places in the last World Championships and according to national team coach Tolosa Kotu, the objective is to repeat this performance. “The athletes are performing well in training,” he said at the squad announcement press conference. “Hopefully, they can repeat the same result in Osaka."

Ethiopian men have not won gold over the 10,000m only once since 1991 and that record should continue once again this year. Back to defend his World title is Kenenisa Bekele as he chases a third successful World outdoor title that will put him within touching distance of Haile Gebrselassie’s record of four successive victories. As in previous years, Sileshi Sihine will again be expected to increase the team’s medal chances and provide competition for Kenenisa. Gebregziabher Gebremariam, the 2005 national champion, returns after recording an impressive personal best time of 26:52.33, while Tadesse Tola, the 2007 national champion and All-African Games silver medallist, will again provide strong competition.

The men’s 5000m is composed of two members of the squad that took gold and silver in the last World Junior Championships in Beijing, China in August 2006. Champion Tariku Bekele has come in leaps and bounds since his runaway victory in the Chinese capital and will compete in his second World Championships after finishing seventh two years ago in Helsinki.

Silver medallist Abraham Cherkose is regarded by many as the new protégée of Ethiopian distance running. The 18-year-old, who is legible to compete in the World Junior Championships in 2008, holds World Youth records over the 3000m and 5000m. Joining the duo in the team is Bekana Daba, winner of the 5000m title at the All-Ethiopian Games in March. After an up-and-down season, Daba clinched his place in the team after beating strong opponents in Braaschart, Belgium in July. Defending World silver medallist Sileshi Sihine has been named a reserve in case any of the above runners should pull out.

Ethiopia will also field four women runners in Osaka. Tirunesh Dibaba leads the way with a title defence, but the encouraging form of Mestawet Tufa should help ally any medal fears. Tufa leads the world this year with an impressive 31:00.27, but even more impressive was her victory in the All-African Games where she handily beat Kenya’s Edith Masai. Defending World bronze medallist Ejegayehou Dibaba will hope to put an injury-plagued season behind her, while Ahaza Kiros has piped Teyiba Erkesso in the race for the last spot in the team.

In the selection over the 1500m, three athletes have been picked by selectors of the EAF after fulfilling the IAAF qualification A standard time. A fourth athlete, Gelete Burka, has chosen to focus only on the 5000m despite running the fifth fastest time in the world in 2007. Of the two men in the squad, Mekonnen Gebremedhin has previous major championship experience having been part of Ethiopian World Youth (2003) and Junior (2006) squads in the past. The 18-year-old has improved his personal twice in two weeks in July eventually to 3:36.04 in Heusden-Zolder, Belgium. Derese Mekonnen will take with him to Osaka a commendable fourth place finish in the All-African Games 1500m final. Mestawet Tadesse is the only woman middle distance runner in the team.

Ethiopian runners have broken record ground this year with five runners (3 women and 2 men) achieving the IAAF qualification A standard for the first time. The men’s squad is a unique balance between experience and form. National junior record holder Nahom Mesfin has major championship experience with fourth in the 2006 IAAF World Junior Championships and bronze in the All-African Games. Roba Gari came only two seconds off Eshetu Tura’s 27-year-old national record earlier this year as he improved his personal best from 8:31 (Addis Ababa stadium record) to 8:15.05 in Brazzaville, Congo in the space of only one month. Of the three women in the squad, Netsanet Achamo, fourth in the African Championships last year in Mauritius, will be buoyed by her national record time of 9:28.03 earlier this year after winning the national championships in a 10:01 in May. World junior bronze medallist Mekdes Bekele has competed well in the international circuit including a race with current World record holder Gulnara Samitova in Moscow, Russia. Zemzem Ahmed, an athlete running for the Ethiopian Banks club, will be happy with a place in the squad after securing her place with only ten days before selectors announced their final squad.

Rather surprisingly, Ethiopian women have never won a World Championships Marathon medal. An interesting mix of a young crop and an experienced breed now aim to work to put an end to that statistic in Osaka. The youth is provided primarily by Askale Tafa, Roba Guta, and Dire Tune. Tafa boasts an impressive 100% winning over the marathon since September 2006 winning marathons in Dubai and Paris. Guta is the fastest in the field with a personal best of 2:24.35, while Dire Tune is a recent winner of Houston Marathon in 2:26.52. The experience in the team is provided by Shetaye Gemechu, a two-time Olympian, while Adanech Zekiros completes the line-up.

The men’s squad is also a mix of youth and experience. Sydney Olympics bronze medallist Tesfaye Tola makes a surprising return this year to add experience to the team. Gashaw Melese is the fastest in the field with his second place finish in Paris. Regarded as one of Ethiopia’s most natural marathon runners, Gashaw is desperate to make amends after dropping out two years ago in Helsinki. Thirteenth-placed Gudissa Shentema was Ethiopia’s highest finisher two years ago and makes a return. Ambesse Tolossa and Dejene Berhanu will run a world Championships Marathon for the first time.

The marathon squad will be missing three of the world’s top marathon runners. According to EAF Technical Director Dube Jillo, the EAF has accepted national record holder Haile Gebrselassie’s application for exclusion from the team because the World 20000m, one-hour, and 20km record holder fears a recurrence of an asthma problem. “We have accepted his kind request because he is a hero of Ethiopia and has competed with distinction for the last 20 years.”

The EAF has also accepted the exclusion requests of Gete Wami and Berhane Adere who had opted to try out for a place in the 10,000m team, but dropped out in their attempts in Valenswaard, Netherlands and Barakaldo, Spain due to injury.“These athletes have run well for over fifteen years,” said Jillo. “There will be opportunities for them to compete for Ethiopia in the future.”

Ethiopian squad for the 11th IAAF World Championships in Osaka 2007

MEN (16)

1500m: Derese Mekonnen, Mekonnen Gebremedhin3000m SC: Roba Gari, Nahom Mesfin

5000m: Tariku Bekele, Abraham Cherkose, Bekana Daba, Sileshi Sihine

10,000m: Kenenisa Bekele, Sileshi Sihine, Gebregziabher Gebremariam, Tadesse Tola

Marathon: Gashaw Melese, Dejene Berhanu, Ambesse Tolosa, Gudissa Shentema, Tesfaye Tola

WOMEN (16)

1500m: Mestawet Tadesse

3000m SC: Netsanet Achamo, Mekdes Bekele, Zemzem Ahmed

5000m: Tirunesh Dibaba, Meseret Defar, Gelete Burka, Meselech Melkamu

10,000m: Tirunesh Dibaba, Mestawet Tufa, Ejegayehou DibabaAheza Kiros

Marathon: Robe Guta, Askale Tafa, Dure Tune, Adanech Zekiros, Shetaye Gemechu (IAAF)

Haile Gebresilassie is still Undefeated in Half-Marathon!

Haile Gebrselassie, the double Olympic gold medalist and multiple World record-holder from Ethiopia, won the second annual NYC Half-Marathon Presented by NIKE today, clocking 59:24, the second-fastest Half-Marathon time ever on North American soil.

The pace was quick from the start as “Geb,” American 10K and 10,000-meter champion Abdi Abdirahman, and defending Boston Marathon and LaSalle Bank Chicago Marathon champ Robert Cheruiyot opened with a 14:11 5K (4:33-per-mile pace) despite the hilly Central Park terrain.

“It wasn’t what I was expecting, those first few miles,” said Gebrselassie, 34, who thanked Abdirahman and Cheruiyot for setting a fast early pace. “I thought maybe we’d just run easy in a big pack, then start to run hard later.” An unexpected break in the warm, humid weather of the past week made for near-ideal summer racing conditions. As the lead trio exited the park onto Seventh Avenue at 7.5 miles (12K), Cheruiyot reached for a drink at a fluid station. Abdirahman seized the opportunity to bolt into the lead. Gebrselassie covered the move. “When I caught him, he asked me to go,” Gebrselassie recounted, flashing his trademark smile. “I thought maybe he wanted me to be the rabbit, but I felt good, so I went. He didn’t catch me again.”

The runners continued south through the heart of Times Square, past the giant NASDAQ screen flashing WABC Channel 7 race coverage, west onto 42nd Street, and then south again at 15K (9.3 miles) onto the West Side Highway for the drive to the finish just north of historic Battery Park. Gebrselassie maintained his lead with apparent ease, cruising to victory more than a minute in front of Abdirahman, 30, who ran a personal-best 1:00:29. Abdirahman will compete in the 10,000 meters at the IAAF World Championships in Osaka later this month.

Only Gebrselassie has run faster in North America – he clocked 58:55 in Phoenix early last year – and collected his eighth Half Marathon victory in as many attempts over the distance.
Cheruiyot, 28, was third in 1:00:58 and was transported to a hospital for observation due to dizziness; he was later released. "He felt weak and a little confused at the finish," said Cheruiyot's manager, Federico Rosa, who accompanied him to the hospital. "He went to the hospital as a precaution. He was there for about an hour, and everything was okay."(IAAF)

"The Distance-Running King Isn’t Resting on His Laurels"

Haile Gebrselassie walked through Manhattan on a sweltering afternoon, a slight man in a simple khaki outfit, drawing attention only because two burly bodyguards cleared a path for him. Gebrselassie’s trademark smile, unwavering in yesterday’s heat and commotion, erupted in laughter when two passersby wondered aloud if perhaps he was the president of an African country.

If Gebrselassie had crossed town unescorted, the man universally regarded as the greatest distance runner would have turned few heads. His star will only shine come tomorrow when he re-enters the world he dominates, running in the NYC Half-Marathon. It will be the first time the 34-year-old Gebrselassie will run in New York.

The star-studded men’s field will also include the former New York Marathon champion Hendrik Ramaala and the three-time Boston Marathon champion Robert Cheruiyot. “New York is New York,” Gebrselassie said later, laughing again, ensconced in an Ethiopian restaurant, Meskerem. “I come here and I wonder when it will become quiet here. It is never quiet.” Luring Gebrselassie into the din from his home in Ethiopia was an eight-year quest by New York Road Runners. The group’s president, Mary Wittenberg, hopes he will someday join the field of its biggest event, the New York Marathon. This year, the Half-Marathon fit into Gebrselassie’s schedule as he prepares for the Berlin Marathon in September. “There is Haile as an athlete and Haile as a man, and he is a superstar in both regards,” Wittenberg said. “He is the best ambassador for our sport. He can take over a race and he just fills up a room.”

Gebrselassie’s storied career includes 22 world-record performances, two Olympic gold medals in the 10,000 meters and 107 major-race victories. Recently, Gebrselassie has turned his talents to longer distances, winning three of six marathons since 2005 and winning every one of his seven half-marathons. His world record in that event was surpassed earlier this year by Samuel Wanjiru, a 20-year-old from Kenya. But Gebrselassie has little intention of resting on his résumé or giving in to a younger generation. He surprised the track world in May with a last-minute entry into a 10,000-meter race in Hengelo, the Netherlands, where he finished fifth and became the first man over 30 to break 27 minutes. He ran it in 26:52. The first time he broke 27 minutes, he was 22. “Everybody was surprised,” Gebrselassie said. “People say, ‘You are too old.’ But I’m not old. I feel still young.”

Gebrselassie believes he could still dominate his old track distances, except the intensity of that training led to a series of injuries. He was forced to withdraw from the London Marathon in April after 18 miles when he had an allergic reaction to the pollen in the air. He said he had never had an allergy attack before. “It’s not an easy thing,” Gebrselassie said. “In the marathon you are running against the distance. It’s 42K. You never know where the problem you will have. In the 10 and the 5,000, it’s just competing against either the time or the athletes. But the marathon, you compete against the distance itself.” Gebrselassie has encountered no such problems in half-marathons, building an undefeated streak, and he is now the target of a strong international field in New York. The 13.1-mile race starts in Central Park, races through Times Square and ends in Battery Park. “He is the greatest distance runner who ever lived,” said Peter Gilmore, the top American entrant. “I’ve never raced against him. It’s going to be cool.”

Gebrselassie, long accustomed to the awe he has inspired, refuses to stop finding challenges. He said he picked his races for the chance to do something special, to reward fans with a memorable performance. Back home in Addis Ababa, Gebrselassie owns and runs a real estate developing business with his wife, Alem. Their four children, ages 2 to9, know nothing of the hardscrabble beginning that launched their father’s career. He grew up on a farm, running the more than six miles to school each day. “You need a hard time when you are training, especially long distance,” he said. “My kids, they live a luxury life. Between my house and school, it’s 3K and they use a car. My age, it was 10K and you walked to school.”

Across Ethiopia, a younger generation has taken up running because of Gebrselassie. Many runners he trains with, he said, are too shy to speak with him comfortably. But he loves to see them competing. It is a major reason he never moved from his country, despite his fame and the pressure that comes with it. “When you ask them why they start running, and they say, ‘I start because of Haile Gebrselassie,’ for me it’s something special,” he said. “Now, you ask me what I feel. It’s the other way around. These athletes they start running because of me. Now I continue running because of them. When I see them run in the national championships and one of them breaks a record, I just feel so good. I am very proud.” If he wishes anonymity, he needs only to come to Times Square on a summer afternoon. (The New York Times, Aug 4, 2007)

A League with a Social Conscience! (by Uli Hesse-Lichtenberger)

Every once in a while, I glance with a bit of envy at columns sent in by Phil Ball, Roberto Gotta or Jon Carter and Norman Hubbard (fellow writers as ESPN). They are often about big clubs, bigger names and biggest money, about glamorous teams you can always watch on television because they do well in the Champions League.

This being, I quote, 'The world's site for the world game', I sometimes wonder if many people out there in the world still care about the Bundesliga, whose new season will soon get underway.
If you don't care (which is, I admit, kind of improbable, because why would you then read this?), if you're bypassing the Bundesliga because you're either prejudiced or simply prefer reading about the Ronaldinhos and Beckhams of this world... well, maybe you should reconsider. It's not just that there are more goals in the Bundesliga, as I keep hammering home to you action-addicts out there. And it's not just that the new season will, at last, see some bona fide stars such as Luca Toni and Franck Ribéry. No, it's primarily that you should support the Bundesliga for - ideological reasons.Yes. Ideological reasons. After all, you're a football fan, aren't you?

Two years ago, a Swedish writer was touring Germany for a long article he eventually published in a respected football magazine called 'Offside'. The piece was headed, somewhat dramatically and perhaps inspired by watching 'Lord of the Rings' too intensely, 'The Last Battle'. Said writer literally travelled through the whole of the country, from Hamburg to Munich, and met players, officials and writers as well as supporters, both regular fans and members of pressure groups. The gist of his article was that Germany is the last major European football country that still fights the pitfalls of commercialism, the last place where fans make their voices heard and are not treated like mere consumer cattle. Hence the title.

Was he right? Yes, I guess so. It's difficult for me to make a proper comparison, as I haven't followed football for any meaningful period of time abroad, but I know lots of people in foreign countries, and their reports have me concur with what 'Offside' said. Last year, for instance, I spoke to branches of the England Supporters Club in Exeter and London. My favourite ploy to get people's attention was to pull out my Borussia Dortmund season ticket and have them guess the price printed on it. I was well aware that watching football in England is so expensive that hardly anyone would guess the correct figure. (Roughly 150 Euros or slightly less than one hundred pounds.) Yet I didn't expect that some of the fans in attendance would tell me that they supported non-league clubs - and still paid a lot more for a season ticket than I did. The average ticket price in England is more than 45 Euros. In Spain, it's roughly 30 Euros. In Germany, it's less than 19 Euros. And that's not even the whole story, as this average price doesn't explain my 150-Euro season ticket and doesn't tell the punter on less than princely wages what he will be most interested in: what's the minimum amount I have to spend to see my team?

Depending on the club, the cheapest Bundesliga ticket for an adult will set you back between 8 and 10 Euros. Those tickets are, of course, for a part of the grounds many younger and non-German fans only know from hearsay, namely the terraces. Now, it's important to note that there is by and large only one reason most Bundesliga grounds still have standing areas: because the fans wanted it that way.

In the wake of the Taylor Report, the German FA (DFB) decided to go all-seater together with all the other major European countries, not least because UEFA seemed to force everybody's hand by decreeing that all European games had to be played in such venues. But the German fans were not willing to just grin and bear it. Many pressure groups formed, using the slogan 'Seats are for Bums', and representatives from 23 different clubs demonstrated in front of the DFB headquarters in 1994. In the end, they won. Or rather, the DFB won an exemption from UEFA and was allowed to handle domestic matches as it saw fit. This exemption was granted on a trial basis, but you know how it is with these things; it's been in place ever since.

Admittedly, fighting the all-seater mania was easier for Germans because we have never been wounded by the emotional scars of a Heysel or a Hillsborough. Then again, the Taylor Report did not declare terraces unsafe in themselves but bemoaned their state. (Lines such as 'the overall picture of conditions and facilities to be expected by a standing spectator is depressing. It is in stark contrast to the different world, only yards away, in the Board Room and the executive boxes' abound in the report.)

The fight for terracing wasn't the last German supporters would win. The fact that they can watch highlights from all Saturday's matches on free-TV and only about an hour after the final whistle is also neither an accident nor a gift from the powers that be. It's down to protests and even more drastic actions: in 2001, the main free-TV football show was moved to a later time slot to help the pay-TV stations sell more decoders. Whereupon a fans' pressure group called for a mass boycott. Stunningly, the supporters indeed followed the suggestion to simply not tune in at all, neither to the free nor to the pay-TV station. The ratings plummeted so dramatically that the football show was quickly moved back to the earlier starting time. In other words, German football fans are a quite active and powerful bunch. And the league and the FA know this and have learned not to ignore them.

In June, there was even some kind of general meeting, held over two days, between fans from 50 clubs, DFB (the German FA) officials and representatives of the DFL (which runs the two professional leagues). In all, more than four hundred people convened in Leipzig for what the DFB termed the first 'Supporters Conference'. As is their wont, some of the fans who attended were sceptical rather than euphoric. 'At least we could list all of our demands,' said Martin Endemann from the Alliance of Active Football Fans (BAFF). 'Now the DFB will be judged by what it does with this catalogue.' He's certainly got his reasons for being a tad suspicious. But it's important to remember that there are very few football countries which would even consider such a conference, let alone actually stage it. And that there are very few football countries in which a fan could, without the faintest hint of irony, state that he's got 'demands'. At 'Offside', they'd probably now add that there is no other such football country.