Ethiopia's Mohammed Aman trumps Kenya's David Rudisha Olympic record holder in the men's 800m

 
AFP
ZURICH — Ethiopian teenager Mohammed Aman trumped world and Olympic champion David Rudisha of Kenya in emphatic style in the men's 800m in the Diamond League meeting here on Thursday.
This race, Rudisha's only outing since he won gold in London earlier this month in a new world record of 1min 40.91sec, had been billed as another chance for the 23-year-old Kenyan to better his own mark.
But no one had counted on the kick of 18-year-old Aman, who finished sixth at the Olympics but who importantly last year became the first and last man to defeat Rudisha since 2009.
Starting in lane seven with Kenyan training partner Sammy Tangui on his outside, Rudisha bolted past his pacemaker in the opening strides.
With any chance of a world record completely out of the window in cold, wet conditions, Rudisha found himself in front but in a real dogfight with Aman, who kicked past the Kenyan world champion as the duo rounded the last bend.
Aman held on for a convincing win in a personal best of 1:42.53, with Rudisha timing 1:42.81 and another Kenyan, Leonard Kosencha, completing the podium (1:44.29).
"The race was good, really," said Rudisha. "The race was fast and the winner acheived a 1:42.5 time and new personal best.
"My legs felt tired and I cannot run well if the weather is not good.
"I hoped for a fast race here and am a little disappointed. It is very difficult to get a good pacemaker to pace for a 800m world record, but this time it was good. It was the rain that stopped me."
Aman was left extremely happy with having trumped Rudisha for a second time.
"I am incredibly thankful to win in front of this audience with a new personal best and a new national record," he said.
"This was the final Diamond League race and therefore a strong one. I am very happy and hopefully next year I will beat the world record."

Tags: athletics, sport

Ethiopian female athletes back home with Great Result No medial in male Marathon due to bad selection in London Olympic

This is extract from the pro governmental journal which never mentioned why the male athletes lost and Ethiopia did not win any medal in Marathon which is an Ethiopian game. The main reason is bad selection. The most experienced like Merga  and others were set aside while young with no experience but best time in 2012 were nominated. But Olympic needs Technic, strategy and experience not of speed. It seems the decision making has sleep  out of the hands of the experienced coaches. We hope  the error must be corrected for the coming 4 years accompanied by a regime change.

Read the regimes justification based on statistical history of Ethiopian Olympic participation to hide the truth here after in their reporter  web site.

Ethiopia and the Olympics have been intertwined for more than half a century. Particularly, Ethiopia and the testing marathon have extraordinary ties. Whenever there is marathon race, Ethiopia’s name is mentioned. Apart from that Ethiopia’s name is inseparable from-long distance running, particularly 5,000 and 10,000 meters.

Ethiopia first participated in the Olympic Games in 1956 in Melbourne. From then on Ethiopian athletes have been progressing and achieving victories to date. Especially, the 2000 Sydney Olympics brought Ethiopian athletes global fame.

Since 1956 the country has been sending athletes to compete in every Summer Olympic Games except for the 1976 Montreal Games, the 1984 Los Angeles Games and the 1988 Seoul Games.

So far, over 56 years, Ethiopian athletes have won a total of 42 medals, out of which 27 were won by men participants.

Ethiopian medal success was dominated by men ever since the marathon victory of the legendary Abebe Bikila in 1960 in Rome. Eventually, women came to the fore as Derartu Tulu won the 10,000 meters in the 1992 Barcelona Olympics that made her the first black African woman to win an Olympic gold medal.

However, after the track and field races in the 30th Olympiad commenced, the Ethiopian athletics scenario at the London Olympic Games witnessed an unprecedented trend as the women overcame the men’s dominance. In London, Ethiopian men have not been successful. Rather it witnessed the first time for Ethiopian women to shine.

The women looked confident and, unlike the men, they have made good progress in almost all races they participated in.

The emphatic victory of Tirunesh Dibaba in the 10,000 meters race at the cost of her Kenyan rivals is one of the most outstanding victories at London 2012. Meanwhile, a day after Tirunesh’s decisive victory, the defeat of former champion and still the double records holder of 10,000 and 5,000 meters, Kenenisa Bekele, by Somali-born, UK athlete Mohammed Farah, was a blow and  the first signal of Ethiopian men’s failure in the distance they were better known for.

As Sophia Assefa has managed to be part of history by winning bronze in the 3000 meters steeplechase and becoming the first Ethiopian woman athlete to get a medal in the category, her male counterpart, Roba, Gari, was not able to be part of history and repeat at least Eshetu Tura’s achievement who took the bronze in the 1980 Moscow Olympics.

The other unexpected but stunning achievement was the victory of Tiki Gelana in the women’s marathon, becoming the second Ethiopian woman to win the Olympics marathon. Her win excited many as she was not that much expected to do so.

So far, from the men, only Tariku Bekele won bronze while his brother Kenenisa finished 4th in the men’s 10,000 meters.

Mohammed Aman, one of the young hopefuls who was said to be the underdog in the 800 meters men’s race, could not meet the expectations as he finished sixth in a very powerful and tough competition where the Kenyan  athlete David Rudisha won gold with a new world record.

Ethiopian men also were unable to win any medals in the 1,500 meters as well.
The only hope left for the men to make something out of London 2012 was the 5,000 meters which was scheduled a day before the men’s marathon.

Thanks to Dejene Gebremedhin, the country’s reputation was saved when he won silver in the distance.

Still the worst was yet to come. The highly anticipated marathon turned out to be disastrous. The three runners could not even complete the 42 kilometers, let alone win a medal.

Is the dominance closer to kicking the bucket?

The failure of most of the participating men athletes was not simply seen as a truth by most people here at home. Many disappointed fans are expressing their discontent over the result. Meanwhile, others tried to consolidate and accept the result as possible phenomena that can apply in any sporting event though it was bitter truth.

For many Ethiopians, the home of a Marathon medal has been Ethiopia since the legendary Abebe Bikila’s first historical victory for Ethiopia as well as Africa as he won the 1960’s Olympics Marathon in Rome barefooted. Four years later he defended his title victorionsly in Tokyo in 1964.

The marathon eventually became part of Ethiopian Olympics tradition and that tradition was maintained by Mamo Wolde who won gold in Mexico City in 1968. At the same event he won silver in the men’s’ 10,000 meters race. Later on, Mamo won bronze in the 1972 Munich Olympics Marathon.

Another historical moment in Ethiopia’s Olympics history is the coming of Miruts Yifter. The then least known Miruts got bronze in Munich but after that in the 1980 Moscow Olympics he became the first athlete to win double gold medals in 10,000 and 5,000 meters. Though Ethiopian athletes failed to achieve the marathon results of the 60s in the 70s, athletes like Miruts, Mohammed Kedir and Eshetu Tura managed to get the nickname “The Green Flood.”  The 80s saw the emergence of Belayneh Dinsamo, the former world marathon record holder and Abebe Mekonnen. However, Ethiopia boycotted the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics and the 1988 Seoul Olympics. So the two athletes never got the chance to get the glory of Abebe Bikila and Mamo Wolde.

After 32 years, Ethiopians craving for medals got their satisfaction after Gezehagn Abera won the marathon gold in the 2000 Sydney Olympics.

Another iconic male athlete is the famous Haile Gebreselasie. For two decades Haile was at the helm of long distance. Not only Ethiopians but the world enjoys Haile’s determination of winning. The world respects him for his unstoppable nature.

Haile is not only considered as a successful runner, but also an inspirational athlete who managed to inspire many young athletes the likes of Million Wolde, Kenenisa Bekele, Sileshi Sihn, Gebregziabher Gebremariam among many others. In addition Haile is also a “symbol of endurance”.

Emerging stars

Ethiopian women athletes came in to sight after the cheerful Derartu Tulu won gold in the 1992 Barcelona Olympics 10,000 meters race making her the first black African woman to win an Olympic gold.  She repeated it again in 2000 at the 27th Olympiad with a-world-record time. Fatuma Roba was also another Ethiopian phenomenal woman who became the first black African to win the Marathon at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics. Similarly, Gete Wami has a bold name in Ethiopia’s athletics history. Her Bronze Medal at the Atlanta Olympics in 10,000 meters and silver and bronze medals in 10,000 and 5,000 meters respectively at the Sydney Olympics brought Ethiopians great pride.

It would not be an understatement if athletics and Ethiopia are taken as two sides of the same coin. And this is the reason why people are irate because of the result of the men’s athletes.

Some pointed out that Kenenisa lacked team-work with his younger brother Tariku Bekele and Gebregziabher Gebremariam in the 10,000 meters final.

Others say that considering his long-time injury, he should have not been selected as there were many other young athletes who had met the qualifying time.

Others also accused the Ethiopian Athletics Federation and the Ethiopian Olympic Committee for only focusing on senior athletes.

Other also described the Olympic Committee’s negligence and failure to leave substitutes at home without giving them the chance to travel to London by citing the case of Gebremariam who picked up injury earlier before the race and was finally forced to run with the aid of anesthesia.

“The overall number of Ethiopian delegation for this Olympics is 64. Only 35 of the delegation, including the two swimmers, are actual athletes. The rest are just coaching staffs and official from the federation and Olympic Committee. It is with this consideration that the substitutes were forced to stay back and wait at home. The substitute athletes should have been given a chance to travel with the main delegation as it is difficult to predict would happen ahead. Though there may be no problem on the main competing athletes, the substitute should be given priority, whereby they would at least gain experience for their future career. And Gebregziabher’s case is a good and clear manifestation of this problem,” an Addis Ababan, who requested anonymity, told The Reporter.

According to sources, athlete Lelisa Desasa was chosen to be Gebregziabher’s substitute by the athletics federation. Shortly after Gebregziabher’s injury was noted, the federation was looking to summon Lelisa but he was not available as he left for abroad for another competition on his own immediately after he learned that he was not picked as a first choice athlete for the London Olympics.

A similar case is that of Yanet Seyoum representing Ethiopia for first time in Olympics 50 meters freestyle swimming. The man who was assigned as her manager is a mere office worker who has no relevant skill for swimming, it was learnt.

Cheering and cursing at home

Team Ethiopia arrived back home early on Thursday with three gold, one silver and three bronze medals.  The team was welcomed by Kassa Teklebirhan, speaker of House of Federation and Abdisa Yadessa, Sports Commissioner before heading to the National Stadium where a large number of people were waiting to salute and cheer the athletes.

While the team was on its way from the Bole International Airport to the stadium, a lot of people were cheering athletes with joy and jubilation. Four of the five medal winners were waving from inside limousines. However, during the parade there were some people who were openly protesting and criticizing the committee members.

“We love you our dear athletes, but the committee members are corrupt,” was the shouting heard from the crowd on the streets.

The Ethiopian Athletics Federation and the Ethiopian Olympic Committee have been subjected to public criticism and anger accusing the duo of taking too many committee members to London that outnumbered the total number of participating athletes. What makes things worse is that the Olympic Committee’s decision to leave substitute athletes at home has been considered as a disgraceful act by individuals interviewed by The Reporter.

However, Engineer Girma Zewdu, team leader of the London Olympic Delegation, defended the committees’ decision to send so many committee members after The Reporter inquired about the much criticized decision.

“The overall result is good. The main thing is participation in the Olympics as a country level. So we believe it is still good,” he said.

“We do not decide about the number of Delegates as it’s up to the organizer. So it’s not important to speak about this issue. We will give explanation after a few days at a press conference. But I want to underline that all committee members who went to London have duties. So it was impossible to reduce their number. It was our plan to make the substitute stay at home though we have no shortage of budget,” he added.

A few days before the team departed to London, the fundraising committee of the federation collected over 46 million birr.

Haile Gebreselassie also spoke at the public welcoming ceremony at the National Stadium where he advised the young fellow athletes in his sensational remark. He said that the result registered at this Olympic is not bad.

“We may reason out many things for the result as people are unhappy for what we lost in some of the highly expected games…It should not be a question of grassroot change. Instead it should be a matter for correcting mistakes or problems,” he said.
Still there is hope in some of young athletes. The future seems to have fallen on the shoulder of the young brightest athletes such as Dejene, Genzebe, Ababa, Muhamed Aman and many others.

Rudisha and Farah rival Bolt - London 2012 Olympics

Rudisha and Farah rival Bolt

It takes something special to upstage Usain Bolt, but David Rudisha and Mo Farah managed it with the best Athletics performances of London 2012.

Gold medallists Mo Farah and Usain Bolt

Great Britain's Mo Farah and Usain Bolt of Jamaica try each other's poses on Day 15 of the London 2012 Olympic Games at Olympic Stadium.

An overwhelming favourite for the 800m, Rudisha could have won the gold medal any way he saw fit, but chose to try to break his own world record and did so in unforgettable fashion.

Great Britain's Farah came into his home Games under pressure to deliver medals in the 10,000m or 5000m -  he won both in thrilling style, seven days apart. If there had been a roof on the stadium it would have come off as 80,000 people roaredFarah to victory.

In the 800m, Rudisha's time of 1:40.91 took 0.10 off his previous record as all eight finalists set record times, and drew praise from the watching London 2012 Organising Committee Chair Seb Coe.

'That was simply an unbelievable performance,' the former Olympic 800m silver medallist said.

'David Rudisha showed supreme physical and mental confidence to run like that in an Olympic final.

'Instead of just doing enough to win the race he wanted to do something extraordinary and go for the world record as well. Rudisha's run will go down in history as one of the greatest Olympic victories. I feel privileged to have witnessed it in London.'

Rudisha's run will go down in history as one of the greatest Olympic victories. I feel privileged to have witnessed it in London.

Seb Coe

Rudisha, who has spoken of his desire to raceBolt in the 4 x 400m Relay, said: 'It was something special. A world record in the Olympics is something fantastic. I want to become a legend in the 800m.'

Becoming a legend was also the long-held goal of Bolt, who felt he needed to retain his 100m and 200m titles from Beijing 2008 to be worthy of the accolade.

The 25-year-old won the 100m in a time of 9.63 seconds, an Olympic record and just 0.05 outside his own world record.

Bolt won the 200m in 19.32 - outside the 19.19 world record - but in the 4 x 100m Relay he helped break a world record, the Jamaican quartet lowering their own mark by a fifth of a second.

'I am a living legend, bask in my glory,' Bolt said after the 200m final.

Farah became one of a handful of men in Olympic history to complete the long-distance double and said: 'It's an unbelievable feeling, the best feeling ever.'

There were standout performances right across the programme - from Felix Sanchez's golden night in the 400m Hurdles to Uganda's Stephen Kiprotichstunning the Kenyan challenge to clinch Olympic Games gold in the men's Marathon on The Mall.

In total, four world records were broken in London 2012 Athletics. Russia's Elena Lashmanova set one in the women's 20km Race Walk and the USA 4 x 100m Relay quartet of Tianna Madison, Allyson Felix, Bianca Knight and Carmelita Jeter blazed round the track in 40.82, beating East Germany's record of 41.37, which had stood since 1985.

But perhaps the most impressive figures were those related to attendance, with crowds of 80,000 people for every session - a remarkable sight which may never be repeated.

Stephen Kiprotich of Uganda wins men's marathon with late kick in 2012 London Olympics

LONDON -- For Stephen Kiprotich, being a relative unknown had an advantage: When the Ugandan runner joined the leaders late in the Olympic marathon, no one really paid that much attention.

That was part of his plan -- blend in and then take the competition by surprise.

He did just that, using a blistering surge with three miles left to pull away from the Kenyan duo of Abel Kirui and Wilson Kiprotich Kipsang to win the marathon Sunday.

By winning gold, he made sure his country didn't go home empty-handed from London. And also by winning gold, he made sure he won't be overlooked again.

He's an unknown no longer.

"They didn't expect me to win. I was keeping behind them, keeping the fire burning," he said. "When they (went), they thought they'd left me, but I was there. When my time came, I said, 'Now, I go."

And off he went, leaving many to wonder: Where did this runner come from?

He's had a few impressive performances in marathons, but nothing that would indicate this kind of feat. He finished in 2 hours, 8 minutes, 1 second -- not his best but pretty close. Kirui ended up with the silver while Kipsang held on for bronze just ahead of American Meb Keflezighi.

"People didn't expect Uganda. They thought Kenya, Ethiopia," Kiprotich said. "I've been keeping quiet. Not now."

He has reason to stick out his chest. So does his country.

Moments like this haven't happened all that often for Uganda. This was the country's seventh Olympic medal in any sport and second gold. John Akii-Bua, a 400-meter hurdler, won the other gold 40 years ago in Munich.

"I made history with my people," Kiprotich said.

The Kenyans, who were looking at a possible podium sweep, just couldn't keep up. Kirui & Co. were competing in memory of the late Sammy Wanjiru, who won the country's first Olympic marathon crown four years ago in Beijing. Wanjiru died last year after a fall from a second-story balcony during a domestic dispute.

"In my mind, I was thinking Kiprotich is fading away. In my mind, I was thinking gold is for me," Kirui said. "To my friend Kiprotich, congratulations. He was the best today, that is why he won. For us, we don't really feel bad that he won."

For the Ethiopians, this was a race the runners would rather forget. All three failed to finish the twisting and turning course.

Kipsang was seemingly in control early in the day. He was out front and running all alone, before fading back to the pack. Kirui caught up with him while Kiprotich followed just behind.

At the 23-mile mark, Kiprotich turned the corner and was gone. He had such a commanding lead near the finish that he grabbed a flag from the stands and wore it on his way to the finish.

After finishing, he dropped to his knees, bowed and then raised his hands high over his head.

"It means a lot to me. Being unknown, now I'm know," he said. "So I'm happy. I'm happy now I'm a known athlete."

Kiprotich sure had plenty of crowd support. Spectators lined the course at every turn, waving signs and ringing cowbells.

The runners took in the sights, breezing past Big Ben, St. Paul's Cathedral, Trafalgar Square, London Bridge and the Tower of London before finishing near Buckingham Palace.

The weather was ideal -- at least for the spectators.

It was bright and sunny but grew hot, especially late in the race -- quite a contrast to the women's race last Sunday that began in a steady downpour.

While other runners wore the colors of their countries, Guor Marial donned a predominantly gray and black uniform with "I.O.A." printed on it. He wound up 47th, 11:31 behind the winning time.

Marial competed as an independent runner under the banner of the International Olympic Committee after fleeing a refugee camp in what is now South Sudan during a civil war more than a decade ago.

The 28-year-old landed in the United States, seeking asylum. The IOC cleared him last month to compete in the Olympics as an independent athlete after he didn't qualify for Sudan, South Sudan or the United States under its rules.

Marial had run only two marathons in his life, but finished both in Olympic times. His second was just two months ago in San Diego.

"I was not able to get them a medal today, but the finish was the most important," Marial said. "I felt like the world was watching."

Within seconds of each other, U.S. marathoners Ryan Hall and Abdi Abdirahman were out of the Olympic race.

First, Hall, a medal favorite, dropped out around the 11-mile mark with a tight right hamstring. Then, Abdirahman called it a day because of an aching right knee.

"I felt like I was favoring my stride and didn't want to get injured," said Hall, who lives in Flagstaff, Ariz.

Keflezighi, of Mammoth Lakes, Calif., used a strong finish to make up ground and finish fourth. He was motivated by a grudge.

Before the race, a few of the runners were introduced, but not Keflezighi. He felt insulted since he won a silver medal in Athens eight years ago.

"To not be introduced like that, it hurts," he said.

Still, he was pleased with his finish.

"Coming here I told my wife, 'I have a feeling I'm going to finish fourth," he said. "Did I want to finish fourth? No. It's not where you want to be sometimes, but fourth place at my last Olympics? I'll take it anytime."

Stephen Kiprotich of Uganda wins men's marathon with late kick 2012 London Olympics --

Stephen Kiprotich, being a relative unknown had an advantage: When the Ugandan runner joined the leaders late in the Olympic marathon, no one really paid that much attention.

That was part of his plan -- blend in and then take the competition by surprise.

He did just that, using a blistering surge with three miles left to pull away from the Kenyan duo of Abel Kirui and Wilson Kiprotich Kipsang to win the marathon Sunday.

By winning gold, he made sure his country didn't go home empty-handed from London. And also by winning gold, he made sure he won't be overlooked again.

He's an unknown no longer.

"They didn't expect me to win. I was keeping behind them, keeping the fire burning," he said. "When they (went), they thought they'd left me, but I was there. When my time came, I said, 'Now, I go."

And off he went, leaving many to wonder: Where did this runner come from?

He's had a few impressive performances in marathons, but nothing that would indicate this kind of feat. He finished in 2 hours, 8 minutes, 1 second -- not his best but pretty close. Kirui ended up with the silver while Kipsang held on for bronze just ahead of American Meb Keflezighi.

"People didn't expect Uganda. They thought Kenya, Ethiopia," Kiprotich said. "I've been keeping quiet. Not now."

He has reason to stick out his chest. So does his country.

Moments like this haven't happened all that often for Uganda. This was the country's seventh Olympic medal in any sport and second gold. John Akii-Bua, a 400-meter hurdler, won the other gold 40 years ago in Munich.

"I made history with my people," Kiprotich said.

The Kenyans, who were looking at a possible podium sweep, just couldn't keep up. Kirui & Co. were competing in memory of the late Sammy Wanjiru, who won the country's first Olympic marathon crown four years ago in Beijing. Wanjiru died last year after a fall from a second-story balcony during a domestic dispute.

"In my mind, I was thinking Kiprotich is fading away. In my mind, I was thinking gold is for me," Kirui said. "To my friend Kiprotich, congratulations. He was the best today, that is why he won. For us, we don't really feel bad that he won."

For the Ethiopians, this was a race the runners would rather forget. All three failed to finish the twisting and turning course.

Kipsang was seemingly in control early in the day. He was out front and running all alone, before fading back to the pack. Kirui caught up with him while Kiprotich followed just behind.

At the 23-mile mark, Kiprotich turned the corner and was gone. He had such a commanding lead near the finish that he grabbed a flag from the stands and wore it on his way to the finish.

After finishing, he dropped to his knees, bowed and then raised his hands high over his head.

"It means a lot to me. Being unknown, now I'm know," he said. "So I'm happy. I'm happy now I'm a known athlete."

Kiprotich sure had plenty of crowd support. Spectators lined the course at every turn, waving signs and ringing cowbells.

The runners took in the sights, breezing past Big Ben, St. Paul's Cathedral, Trafalgar Square, London Bridge and the Tower of London before finishing near Buckingham Palace.

The weather was ideal -- at least for the spectators.

It was bright and sunny but grew hot, especially late in the race -- quite a contrast to the women's race last Sunday that began in a steady downpour.

While other runners wore the colors of their countries, Guor Marial donned a predominantly gray and black uniform with "I.O.A." printed on it. He wound up 47th, 11:31 behind the winning time.

Marial competed as an independent runner under the banner of the International Olympic Committee after fleeing a refugee camp in what is now South Sudan during a civil war more than a decade ago.

The 28-year-old landed in the United States, seeking asylum. The IOC cleared him last month to compete in the Olympics as an independent athlete after he didn't qualify for Sudan, South Sudan or the United States under its rules.

Marial had run only two marathons in his life, but finished both in Olympic times. His second was just two months ago in San Diego.

"I was not able to get them a medal today, but the finish was the most important," Marial said. "I felt like the world was watching."

Within seconds of each other, U.S. marathoners Ryan Hall and Abdi Abdirahman were out of the Olympic race.

First, Hall, a medal favorite, dropped out around the 11-mile mark with a tight right hamstring. Then, Abdirahman called it a day because of an aching right knee.

"I felt like I was favoring my stride and didn't want to get injured," said Hall, who lives in Flagstaff, Ariz.

Keflezighi, of Mammoth Lakes, Calif., used a strong finish to make up ground and finish fourth. He was motivated by a grudge.

Before the race, a few of the runners were introduced, but not Keflezighi. He felt insulted since he won a silver medal in Athens eight years ago.

"To not be introduced like that, it hurts," he said.

Still, he was pleased with his finish.

"Coming here I told my wife, 'I have a feeling I'm going to finish fourth," he said. "Did I want to finish fourth? No. It's not where you want to be sometimes, but fourth place at my last Olympics? I'll take it anytime."

Mo-mentous Farah clinches distance double - AFP:

LONDON — Britain's Mo Farah clinched an Olympic long distance double here Saturday, storming to a pulsating victory in the 5,000m just one week after his triumph in the 10,000m.

The Somalia-born runner timed his kick to perfection to cross in 13min 41.66, fighting off Ethiopia's Dejen Gebreskel, who took silver in 13:41.98, and Kenya's Thomas Longosiwa, who claimed bronze (13:42.36).

Farah is only the seventh man to achieve the 5,000m-10,000m double, adding his name to an illustrious list of runners which includes Czech Emil Zatopek, Finland's Lasse Viren, Ethiopian Miruts Yifter and Kenenisa Bekele.

"I'm just amazed - two gold medals, who would have thought that?" said Farah, who moved to Britain at the age of eight after being born in Somalia and spending some years in Djibouti.

"I got great support from the crowd. It means a lot to me and those two medals are obviously for my two girls who are coming," he said of the twins his wife is expecting.

"I didn't feel great in the heats, but it was pretty good. The American guy tried to come past me but I knew I just had to hold on.

"It's been a long journey of grafting and grafting."

Moroccan Abdalaati Iguider led through the first lap in a pedestrian 1min 11sec, with Farah seemingly soaking up the atmosphere two metres off the tailender.

Ethiopian-born Azeri Hayle Ibrahimov took up the running, until Farah strode to the front after opening the 1km.

The atmosphere in the 80,000-capacity Olympic Stadium was electric, the crowd rising to their feet, waving Union Jack flags and roaring every time the runners passed.

Lopez Lomong, who escaped war-torn Sudan as a refugee child and was adopted by an American family and now represents the United States, headed the field through with six laps to go.

With few surges, the slow pace continued for another lap until Ethiopian duo Yenew Alamirew and Gebremeskel lengthened their strides.

Farah sat on Gebremeskel's shoulder and took the lead with 600 metres to go.

Training partner Galen Rupp of the United States joined him but was then overtaken by Lagat and a barging Alamirew.

The pace upped, the noise reaching a crescendo as Farah rounded the final bend with gritted teeth, eyes glued on the big screen television beyond the finish line.

Gebremeskel and Longosiwa emerged on his shoulder, but Farah had just reserves in his legs to keep in front. A third American, the Kenya-born Bernard Lagat finished fourth, with Kenya's Isiah Koech in fifth.

Farah crossed the line with arms raised, mouth and eyes opened wide in shock, before slapping his shaven head, punching the air and making a triumphant lap of honour with a British flag knotted around his neck.

David Bowie's 'We can be heroes' blasted from the tannoy as the crowd screamed out 'Mo, Mo!' in unison.

World bronze medallist Gebremeksel was left ruing his and his teammates' misplaced tactics.

"It was a good race but we made mistakes," Gebremeksel said. "We planned to make the race fast but we didn't do that.

"Although we tried to make it fast at the end it was too late by then and we didn't manage to reduce the number of athletes (in the lead group) on the last lap.

"When the last lap bell rang the lanes were blocked. By the time I tried to catch Mo it was too late."

Copyright © 2012 AFP. All rights reserved. More »

Mo Farah wins 5,000m to claim second Olympic gold-BBC Sport

11 August 2012Last updated at 21:12 GMT

823

• Share
• Facebook
• Twitter

• print

Mo Farah wins 5,000m to claim second Olympic gold

Britain's Mo Farah claimed his second gold of the 2012 Olympics with a stunning win in the 5,000m.

The 29-year-old had already won the 10,000m earlier in the Games.

Farah, whose wife will give birth to twin girls very soon, told BBC Sport: "Those two medals are for my two girls. They can have one each."

Play media

BBC team jump for joy as Farah wins gold

Britain claimed their 28th gold of London 2012 when boxer Luke Campbell won his bantamweight final, beating Ireland's John Joe Nevin.

Campbell floored Nevin in the final round of their three-round contest as he recorded a 14-11 victory at ExCeL.

It was GB's second boxing gold of these Games following Thursday's success for Nicola Adams.

"I'm lost for words, very emotional," said Campbell. "It's something I've worked for all my life. I can't believe it. I'm very proud to be from Hull and I really appreciate all the support both there and here in London."

Diver Tom Daley came close to adding another gold for Britain but had to settle for bronze in the final of the 10m platform at the Aquatics Centre.

American David Boudia took the title, with China's Qiu Bo taking silver.

"I gave it my best shot, I gave it absolutely everything," said Daley. "I'm just so happy. I can't wait to see my family and have a massive bundle!"

Farah hit the front with 700m left and was never headed, covering the last lap in under 53 seconds to hold off Ethiopia's Dejen Gebremeskel to win in 13 minutes and 41.66 seconds. Kenyan Thomas Longosiwa was third.

Analysis

Colin JacksonBBC Sport athletics pundit

"This is a special moment for Mo Farah. He had a dream and it's been fulfilled. He thoroughly deserves this. We all hoped for him but he has delivered for himself."

"It's unbelievable," Farah added. "I was feeling tired coming into the race. When I took the lead, I knew I had to hold onto it. It has all worked out well. Two gold medals. Who would have thought that?"

Prime Minister David Cameron tweeted his admiration for the double gold medallist shortly after the race.

"@Mo_Farah is an Olympic legend and a true British hero," he wrote. "We can all be proud of his extraordinary achievement."

London 2012 chairman Lord Coe, a two-time Olympic 1500m champion, added: "Mo Farah - a distance running great and arguably the best British runner of all time."

Farah joins an elite band of runners to win both the 5,000m and 10,000m at a single Games. He emulates the feat of Kenenisa Bekele (2008), Miruts Yifter (1980), Lasse Viren (1972 and 1976), Vladimir Kuts (1956), Emil Zatopek (1952) and Hannes Kolehmainen (1912).

Britain now have 62 medals - 15 more than they won at the 2008 Games in Beijing - and have cemented third place in the London 2012 rankings behind the United States and China.

Team GB could add two more golds on Sunday - the 16th and final day of action - when boxers Anthony Joshua and Fred Evans fight in their respective finals.

Usain Bolt won his third gold of the Games - and the sixth of his career - by helping Jamaica win the 4x100m relay final in a world record time.

Play media

Jamaica smash record to win relay gold

Bolt, who defended his 100m and 200m titles earlier in the Games, ran the final leg as the Jamaicans finished ahead of the United States in a time of 36.84 seconds, the first time anyone has run sub-37 secs.

"It is always a beautiful thing to end on this note," said the 25-year-old sprinter. "It is a wonderful feeling. It was a great Olympics and I am happy. I wish we could have gone faster, but I guess we leave room for improvement."

Ed McKeever got the penultimate day of these Games off to the perfect start for Britain by powering to victory in his kayak event at Eton Dorney.

"I'm so happy," said the Englishman, who is nicknamed the 'Usain Bolt of the water'. He added: "It sounds stupid but it's not elation, more relief, and I'm so happy to do it front of a home crowd."

Liam Heath and Jon Schofield also won a kayak medal for Britain, teaming up to win bronze in the K2 200m final.

"With a headwind like that, especially when you're going at that speed, it's really tough but I'm so pleased," said Heath.

Hopes of another bronze for the host nation were dashed when the men's hockey team were beaten 3-1 by Australia.

Also related to this story

• Day 15 evening session 11 Aug 2012 OLYMPICS
• GB's McKeever wins gold in kayak 11 Aug 2012 CANOE SPRINT
• GalleryIn pictures: Final weekend of London 2012 11 Aug 2012 UK
• Ainslie chosen as GB flagbearer 11 Aug 2012 OLYMPICS

Arata Fujiwara Gives Japan a Hopeful in Men’s Olympic Marathon - NYTimes.com

 TOKYO — In the men’s marathon, it takes bravado to aim for a spot on the Olympic medals podium higher than runners from Ethiopia and Kenya, who have dominated the sport for years.

Enlarge This Image

Ko Sasaki for The New York Times

The inconsistent Arata Fujiwara has run the marathon in as fast as 2 hours 7 minutes 48 seconds, but also has been slower than 2:20 several times.

Multimedia

Track and FieldView All »

• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 

• TRACK AND FIELDMen's Marathon
  Not yet available

Enlarge This Image

Ko Sasaki for The New York Times

Arata Fujiwara has been training more for speed than endurance.

But Arata Fujiwara, Japan’s top marathoner, has made a name for himself by bucking conventional wisdom. In a country that values predictability, hierarchy and modesty, he does not belong to a running club, coaches himself and has a unique training regimen that emphasizes speed over endurance.

Shunning the teams that compete in the corporate distance relay, or ekiden, which dominates Japan’s running world, Fujiwara is a provocative figure who has befuddled supporters and skeptics alike. To some, he represents a new breed of runner willing to try new methods and expand beyond Japan’s insular running world, which discourages racing overseas. To others, he is challenging the existing order tilted in favor of Japanese television broadcasters and team sponsors.

His performances have been just as bewildering. Fujiwara has finished second in the Tokyo Marathon three times, including this year, when he ran 2 hours 7 minutes 48 seconds, the seventh-fastest time for a Japanese man. But he has also run slower than 2:20 in other marathons, including several overseas.

However fickle his times, his ability to run with the leaders makes him Japan’s best chance to win a medal in the men’s Olympic marathon since Koichi Morishita finished second in Barcelona 20 years ago. While runners from Africa are expected to be at the front of the pack in the race Sunday, Track & Field News picked Fujiwara to finish sixth, the only Asian runner among the top eight predicted finishers.

In keeping with his maverick ways, Fujiwara, 30, is not afraid to speak openly about his ambitions. In May, he ran a 10-kilometer race in England and scouted the Olympic marathon course in London. He trained on his own in California, far from the prying eyes of the Japanese news media, though most days he trains in Yoyogi Park in Tokyo running laps while a friend on a bicycle keeps time.

“With all the hype, I am careful and try not to make bold statements,” Fujiwara said in an interview in Tokyo in June. “Nevertheless, I want a medal. When I recently went to London, I started to feel the possibility of a medal. I felt I could see it.”

Fujiwara has taken an unconventional path to the marathon, where the favorites includeWilson Kipsang of Kenya and Ayele Abshero of Ethiopia. Tired of racing on a large team and eager to test some of his ideas, he quit the corporate team sponsored by JR East, Japan’s largest railway, in 2010. Suddenly, he no longer had teammates or a coach, and he had to find his own housing and cook his own meals. His modest salary and travel subsidies disappeared.

“If you run for a corporate team, essentially everything is taken care of,” said Ken Nakamura, who lives in San Jose but works with the Tokyo Marathon. “Now he doesn’t have any of the amenities, but he’s free to run where he wants. You have to be courageous.”

Going out on his own means the potential for humiliation is never far off, because the naysayers in the running world are many. It also takes a certain type of person to be willing to market himself not just in Japan, but overseas.

In addition to prize money and appearance fees, Fujiwara won sponsorships from Miki House, a children’s clothing company, and Kagome, a juice company. He used his popularity to raise thousands of dollars in online donations from fans.

Though injuries and poor performances could derail his career, racing independently has been more a statement on the state of distance running in Japan than a rebellion.

“The Japanese marathon is sluggish,” he said. “There’s an emphasis on only practicing running. Intuitively, I felt uncomfortable with it. I felt, ‘Perhaps there is something wrong about this.’ I didn’t have the answers for how to change this. Then I began to be curious, and I decided to learn how the foreign athletes are doing it.”

For inspiration, Fujiwara turned to Vincent Rousseau, an ascetic Belgian runner who had some success in the 1980s and ’90s. Rousseau’s independent streak taught Fujiwara that training alone can be done well.

Fujiwara has a similar free spirit. He grew up in Nagasaki, where his parents gave him and his four siblings room to learn for themselves. He attended college in the Tokyo area, where he had an accomplished though not extraordinary running career.

He joined the JR East racing team after graduation, but the heavy training regimen, curfews and predictable lifestyle felt a lot like college and were not much fun. So he left. “Finally, I’m free now,” he said with a laugh. “It took way too long.”

One reason Fujiwara felt confident enough to go out on his own was his success. In 2008, after his first second-place finish in Tokyo, one sports newspaper ran a headline, “Who Is This Guy?” After he finished second again in 2010, he felt prepared to strike out on his own.

Now coaching himself, Fujiwara has reduced his mileage and focused instead on speed. To prepare to run 2:06, or three minutes per kilometer, he uses workouts that include repetitions of three-minute kilometer runs. At a meet in Japan in June, he ran back-to-back heats of the 10 kilometers with less than five minutes to rest. He finished fifth in the first heat with a time of 29:01, and then ran 29:08.

“From the beginning, I had lots of stamina,” said Fujiwara, who joked that he has the body of a chicken. “I felt that if I do speed training, I can do well in the marathon. Normal runners do the opposite. They have raw speed but they need to increase their stamina.”

Whether that strategy will help produce a medal is unclear. Fujiwara is unlikely to keep up with the leaders if they end up running 2:04 or 2:05. But the course in London has many turns, and if it rains, as it did for the women’s marathon last week, Fujiwara has a better chance.

“In a technical race, he’s good on those courses and his finish is good,” said Brett Larner, who writes for the blog Japan Running News and who has helped Fujiwara find races overseas. “In a perfect scenario, it’s foreseeable he could contend for a bronze, but a top-five finish is realistic.”

Fujiwara, he said, “has his rebel side, and he’s very focused on what he wants to do.”