Born: June 13, 1982
Country: Ethiopia
Weight: 54 kgs
Height: 160 cm
Event: Track and Field (5000m, 10,000m)
Other Records:
2003 World Championship: 1st 10000m, 3rd in 5000m
Kenenisa Bekele is the newest running superstar for his country. He is aiming to win the gold at Athens in the 10000m and the 5000m and if he is able to do so then he could become the first man to win both events at the same Olympics since fellow Ethiopian Miruts Yifter did it in 1980.
He came into the limelight when he beat his fellow countrymen, Haile Gebrselassie in 2003 World Championships. Bekele beat his legendary teammate by 1.2 seconds for the 10,000m title, then made an unsuccessful effort to become the first man to win 5000m and 10,000m world titles at the same meet. But he finished third in the 5000m.
In the last two years, Bekele has grabbed virtually every major honour that has come his way. In March, he showed that he is the undisputed king of the cross country by taking his third double World short and long course titles in Brussels.
On the track, in 2003 he became the World 10,000m champion. In 2004 he broke Gebrselassie's world records in the 5000m (12:37.35) and 10,000m (26:20.31), shaving more than two seconds off both marks. In the winter season he broke the World Indoor 5000m record in Birmingham underlining his agility indoors, outdoors, and the cross country.
While his achievements within a short period of time make him a force to be reckoned with, Bekele, currently the top Overall IAAF World Ranked athlete in the world, remains modest about his triumphs. "I certainly did not expect to reach this stage so quickly," he says. "I am more than happy with what I have achieved so far."
{{/usCountry}}While his achievements within a short period of time make him a force to be reckoned with, Bekele, currently the top Overall IAAF World Ranked athlete in the world, remains modest about his triumphs. "I certainly did not expect to reach this stage so quickly," he says. "I am more than happy with what I have achieved so far."
{{/usCountry}}But it is his wonderful form and unbeaten record that now spans twenty races of all types that has convinced him and the Ethiopian Athletics Federation that he should go for both the 5000 and 10,000m gold medals in Athens.