Haile Gebrselassie

Haile GebreSelassie (born April 18, 1973) is a long distance track and road running athlete born as one of ten children in Asella, Arsi, Ethiopia. He is considered by many to be one of the best distance runners of all time. His prodigious distance running ability may have resulted in part from the high elevation of his home village: 8,000 feet above sea level.

Later career

The next year, just 13 days after lowering Paul Tergat's 10,000 meter world record to 26:22.75 in Hengelo, the Netherlands, Gebrselassie took on the mark of Komen in Helsinki, Finland. Croatian pacemaker Branko Zorko took the pace out too slowly, hitting 1000 meters in 2:33.91 and dropping out at the mile. Million Wolde and Assefa Mezgebu led Gebrselassie through 2,000 meters in 5:05.62. His pacemakers could not maintain the pace, though, and Gebrselassie was left alone for a difficult solo effort 6 laps out. Hitting 3,000 meters in 7:38.93, even the British commentators announcing the race counted him out. With 4 laps to go (8:40.00), Gebrselassie needed a sub-4 minute final mile for the record. With one lap to go and in great pain, Gebrselassie took off, recording a fabulous final lap of 56.77 seconds and a final mile inside 4 minutes to race to a 12:39.36 world record, one of 18 of his illustrious career.

Related Topics:
Paul Tergat - Hengelo - Helsinki, Finland - Croatia - Branko Zorko - Million Wolde - Assefa Mezgebu

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He was the first man to break both the 13 minute mark for the 5000 metre run and the 27 minute mark for the 10000 metre run.

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On August 30 2003 Gebrselassie topped the polls when elected as a member of the IAAF Athletes Commission.

Related Topics:
August 30 - 2003 - IAAF

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In 1999 Gebrselassie starred as himself in the movie "Endurance." The film chronicled his quest to win Olympic gold in the 10,000-meters.

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In 2004, Gebrselassie came to the Olympic Games seeking to become the first man in history to win three straight Olympic gold medals in the 10000 metre run. He was unable to do so, however, finishing fifth in a race won by his countryman and protégé Kenenisa Bekele, who had broken both of Gebreselassie's major track world records, the 5000m and the 10000m records, shortly before the Athens games. Gebrselassie had lost 3 weeks of training due to an Achilles tendon injury. It was severe enough that he would not have competed had the race been any other than the Olympics. This loss of the final period of training, when Gebrselassie observed that he sharpened his finishing sprint with tough, fast sprinting climbing the steep hills surrounding his training ground in Ethiopia, may have cost him a medal.

Related Topics:
2004 - Olympic Games - Kenenisa Bekele - Achilles tendon

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Now Haile Gebrselassie will put his concentration on running the marathon. After London 2002, Amsterdam 2005 will be his second. His personal best time is 2:06.35.

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