Posted: February 21, 2004

Athletics: World Indoor Record For Bekele

From David Monti

(c) 2004 Race Results Weekly, all rights reserved < RaceResultsWeekly.com>

By Bob Ramsak

Kenenisa Bekele broke the world indoor record in the 5000m, running 12:49.61 this evening to lead an Ethiopian distance attack in Birmingham, England.

Running the final 3000m in 7:37 unofficially, the 21-year-old Ethiopian eclipsed Haile Gebrselassie's 12:51.38 set in 1999, also in Birmingham.

Another young Ethiopian, 19-year-old Markos Geneti, overtook Gebrselassie in the final ten meters for an upset 8:08.39 win in the two-mile event. Gebrselassie, who led from the gun, was second in 8:08.65.

Meseret Defar (8:33.44) and Tirunesh Dibaba (8:33.56) finished 1-2 in the 3000m, with Briton Jo Pavey third with a national record 8:34.55. The two big names in the race, Berhane Adere and Gabriela Szabo, were never a factor. Adere finished a distant fourth in 8:51.40 while Szabo did not finish.

Briton Kelly Holmes won the 1000m in 2:32.96, the fourth fastest time ever and a new national record. Jen Toomey set an American record of 2:34.19, finishing second. Toomey's mark, making her the fourth fastest ever over the distance, broke Regina Jacobs's previous U.S. best of 2:35.29 from 2000. Maria Mutola stumbled to the track with 200m to go, and did not finish.

Ivan Heshko held off Rui Silva in the homestretch to win the 1500m in 3:35.40.

All times unofficial. Look for a complete report and results in Monday's RRW.

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