Bekele completes distance double

BEIJING // Kenenisa Bekele made it a unique long-distance double for Ethiopia yesterday with relentless front-running that wore down everyone who dared to keep pace with him in the 5,000 metres. Cutting through the muggiest of conditions at the Bird's Nest, Bekele took over from his teammates with two kilometres to go and imposed such a punishing pace that he did not need an explosive finishing kick this time, just unmatched stamina.

His win over Eliud Kipchoge added to his 10,000 victory for the first double since Lasse Viren in Montreal 32 years ago. The Kenyan Wilfred Bungei finally claimed the major title his talent has promised for years when he won the 800m with a dominant performance Bungei, 28 and ranked No 1 in the world six years ago, took silver in the 2001 world championships but missed out on medals in two more worlds and the 2004 Olympics and had begun to earn a reputation as a big-race choker. He led the final pack through the first lap then cut for home at the bell.

Winding up his pace he opened a three-metre gap that proved just enough to hold off Ismail Ahmed Ismail of Sudan. Ismail took silver with another Kenyan, the world champion Alfred Kirwa Yego, finishing fast to claim the bronze. Andreas Thorkildsen of Norway successfully defended his javelin title in a Games record. He the mark of 90.57m with his fourth throw in the final, beating Jan Zelezny's distance of 90.17, at Sydney 2000. Jeremy Wariner anchored the US team to victory in the mens 4x400m relay in an Olympic record.

LaShawn Merritt, the 400m champion, 400m hurdles gold medallist Angelo Taylor, David Neville and Wariner finished in 2mins, 55.39secs, adding to the gold medal in the US women won in the 4x400 relays. Kenya's Nancy Jebet Langat won the gold medal in the womens 1500m. Tia Hellebaut of Belgium won the women's high jump in a surprise success over Blanka Vlasic of Croatia. Russia's Anna Chicherova took bronze.

* Agencies