Haile Gebrselassie

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Template:Contains Ethiopic text

Haile Gebrselassie

Medal record
Representing  Ethiopia
Men’s athletics
Olympic Games
Gold medal – first place 1996 Atlanta 10000 m
Gold medal – first place 2000 Sydney 10000 m
World Championships
Gold medal – first place 1993 Stuttgart 10000 m
Gold medal – first place 1995 Gothenburg 10000 m
Gold medal – first place 1997 Athens 10000 m
Gold medal – first place 1999 Seville 10000 m
Silver medal – second place 1993 Stuttgart 5000 m
Silver medal – second place 2003 Paris 10000 m
Bronze medal – third place 2001 Edmonton 10000 m

Haile Gebrselassie (Ge'ez: ኃይሌ ገብረ ሥላሴ, haylē gebre silassē; born April 18, 1973) is a long distance track and road running athlete born as one of ten children in Asella, Arsi Province, Ethiopia. Gebreselassie currently holds the world record in the 20K and the marathon. He has broken 25 world records and won numerous Olympic and World Championship titles, and is widely considered as one of the greatest distance runners in history.[1][2][3][4][5]


Early career

Gebrselassie gained international recognition in 1992 when he won the 5,000-metre and 10,000-metre races at the World Junior Athletics Championships and a silver medal in the junior race at the World Cross Country Championships. The next year Gebreselassie won the first of what would eventually be four consecutive world championships in the men's 10,000 meters at the World Track & Field Championships (1993, 1995, 1997, and 1999). In 1993, he also ran the 5,000-metre race to finish a close second in the World Championships. In 1994 he won a bronze medal in the IAAF World Cross Country Championships. Later that year he set his first world record by running a 12:56.96 in the 5,000-metres, breaking Said Aouita's record by two seconds.

In 1995, Gebrselassie ran the 10,000-metres in 26:43.53 in Hengelo, Netherlands lowerıng the world record by a full nine seconds. That same summer, in Zürich, Switzerland, Gebrselassie ran the 5000 metres in 12:44.39, ripping an astonishing 10.91 seconds off the world record (established by Kenya's Moses Kiptanui earlier in the year). This world record at the Weltklasse meet in Zürich was voted Performance of the Year by Track & Field News magazine. With this performance, Gebrselassie seemingly put the 5,000-meter record out of reach for quite a while, but the very next year Daniel Komen showed that this wasn't the case. At the same Weltklasse meet in Zürich, an exhausted Gebrselassie, suffering from blisters obtained on the hard track in Atlanta (where he would win the Olympic 10,000 meter gold in 1996), had no answer to the 58-second lap of Daniel Komen with 5 laps to go as Komen went on to win and just miss Gebrselassie's record, finishing in 12:45.09. In 1997, Gebrselassie turned the tables on Komen at the same meet. Coming off his third 10K world championship gold medal, Gebrselassie outkicked Komen in another Zürich classic on August 13, covering the final 200 meters in 26.8 seconds to break his 5,000-meter world record with a time of 12:41.86. Komen, in turn, took Gebrselassie's record only nine days later when Komen ran a 12:39.74 performance in Belgium.

Middle career

The next year, 1998, saw Gebrselassie lowering the indoor world records for 2,000 and 3,000 meters, enjoying success outdoors by taking back both the 5,000 and 10,000 meter world records, as well as earning a share in the Golden League jackpot for winning all of his races in the Golden League series that summer. In June 1998, in Hengelo, Netherlands, Gebrselassie set a 10,000 meter world record 26:22.75, breaking Paul Tergat's world record 26:27.85, running evenly paced 13:11/13:11 5K splits.

Just 13 days later, Gebrselassie took on the 5,000 meter 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 final lap of 56.77 seconds and a final mile inside 4 minutes to race to a 12:39.36 world record.

In 1999, Gebrselassie starred as himself in the movie Endurance. The film chronicled his quest to win Olympic gold in the 10,000-meters in Atlanta. On the track, he won a 1,500/3000 meter double at the world indoor track championships, defended his outdoor world track championships 10,000 meter title, and remained undefeated in all his races (which ranged from the 1,500 up to 10,000 meters).

In 2000, Gebrselassie again won all of his races, ranking first in the world yet again in both the 5,000 and 10,000 meters. At the 2000 Sydney Olympics, he became the third man in history to successfully defend an Olympic 10,000 meter title (after Emil Zátopek and Lasse Virén). The narrow Olympic victory over Kenya's Paul Tergat came down to a blistering final kick, with Tergat's 26.3 second final 200 meters being topped by Gebrselassie's even faster 25.4. The winning margin of victory was only 0.09 seconds, closer than the winning margin in the men's 100 meter dash final.

In 2001, Gebrselassie won the IAAF World half marathon and too the bronze medal in the 10,000 meters at the 2001 World Championships in Athletics.

On August 30 2003, Gebrselassie topped the polls when elected as a member of the IAAF Athletes Commission. Also in 2003, at the World Championships in Paris, Gebrselassie was involved in one of the most remarkable 10,000 meter races of all time while gaining a silver medal behind countryman and protégé Kenenisa Bekele. The last half of the 10,000 meter final at the championships was completed in a staggering 12:57.24 (12:57.2 for Bekele and 12:58.8 for Gebrselassie). According to the IAAF, "[n]ot only was this split the fastest closing 5,000 meters in the championships 10,000m (the previous record was 13:12.12, recorded in Atlanta), but it was also the fastest 5,000 meters in a global championships surpassing the 12:58.13 Salah Hissou recorded when he won the 5,000m in Sevilla'99." (This remark remained true until a week later when the World Track & Field Championship 5,000 meter medalists (including Bekele) all ran faster than the second 5,000 meter split in the previous week's 10,000 meters.) "The difference between the closing 5,000 meter splits (12:57.24) and the 5,000 meter World record (12:39.36) was 17.88 seconds, which is a record. The previous best of 18.4 seconds (13:31.4 for the closing 5,000 meters when the World Record was 13:13.0) was recorded in the 1976 Olympics."

In 2004 Athens Olympics, Gebrselassie was seeking to become the first man in history to win three straight Olympic gold medals in the 10000 meter run. He was unable to do so, however, finishing fifth in a race won by his compatriot Kenenisa Bekele, who had broken both of Gebrselassie's major track world records, the 5000 meter and the 10000 meter records. Shortly before the Athens games, Gebrselassie was unable to train for 3 weeks due to inflammation of his Achilles tendon. The injury was severe enough that he would not have competed otherwise, but did so because of significant pressure from his country. This loss of the final period of training likely cost him the medal. [6] [7]

Later career

Haile Gebrselassie shortly before winning the 2005 Amsterdam Marathon

Since leaving the track after the 2004 Olympics, Gebrselassie has focused on road racing and the marathon. His adult marathons to date include London 2002, Amsterdam 2005 (1st place), London 2006, Berlin 2006 (1st place), Fukuoka 2006 (1st place), London 2007, and Berlin 2007 (1st place and World Record).

In 2005 Gebrselassie went undefeated in all of his road races. This included a British All-Comers record in the 10K at Manchester (27:25), a win in the Amsterdam Marathon in the fastest marathon time in the world for 2006 (2:06:20), and a new world best for 10 miles in Tilburg, The Netherlands (44:24). (His unofficial split of 41:22 at the 15K mark was 7 seconds faster than the official world best.)

Gebrselassie started 2006 positively by beating the world half marathon record by a full 21 seconds, recording a time of 58 minutes and 55 seconds on January 15th. He broke the record, his first one on American soil, by running the second half of the Arizona Rock 'n' Roll Marathon. During the race he also broke Paul Tergat's 20 km record, both records having stood since 1998. (Gebrselassie passed the 20 km mark in 55:48.) 2006 also marked another victory for Gebrselassie as he shattered the 25 km world road record by 68 seconds in a time of 1:11:37. The race was organized where Gebrselassie and six other runners would run 5 kilometers and then cross the starting line of the 20 kilometer Alphen race in Alphen aan den Rijn of the Netherlands. However this record wasn't recognised by the IAAF, since he wasn't checked for blood doping (EPO).[8] According to the IAAF, as of August 2006 it is still awaiting ratification.[9]

On April 23 2006, he finished 9th in the London Marathon with a time of 2:09:05 (the race was won by Kenyan Felix Limo, who clocked 2:06:39). Gebrselassie referred to the 9th-place finish as "the worst race of my career".[10] However, on September 24 he came back with a win in the Berlin Marathon in the fastest time of the year, 2:05:56. This was followed by a win in the Fukuoka Marathon, Japan in 2:06:52. His time in Berlin made him only the fifth man in history to run under 2:06 for the marathon.

In London on April 22 2007 Gebrselassie challenged the 2006 London Marathon winner Felix Limo, the 2005 London Marathon winner Martin Lel, the 2004 Athens gold medalist Stefano Baldini, the 2006 New York Marathon winner Marilson Gomes dos Santos, and the current marathon world record holder Paul Tergat in what organizers anticipated would be an exciting race.[11] However Gebrselassie dropped out at the 18 mile stage complaining of a stitch and inability to breathe, which turned out to be an allergic reaction to the pollen in the air. This left the 2005 winner Martin Lel to come home in first place after a thrilling finish.

One month later, Gebreselassie made a surprise return to the track where he ran a 26:52.81 in finishing 5th in a very competitive 10,000 meter race in Hengelo, The Netherlands. What made Gebrselassie's time so noteworthy, besides being the 8th time in his career to run under 27 minutes (more than anyone in history) is the fact that Gebrselassie is the only man older than 30 to break 27 minutes in the 10,000 meters. Moreover, his twelve year range of doing so (from 1995 to 2007) is remarkable.

On June 27 2007, Gebrselassie launched an attack upon the world record for the one hour run, in Ostrava, Czech Republic. This record attempt was successful as Gebrselassie passed the hour mark at 21,285 m (13 miles 397 yards), thus eclipsing the previous best, 21,101 m, set by Mexican Arturo Barrios in La Fléche, France, on 30 March 1991. Furthermore, Gebrselassie covered 50 laps (20,000 m) in 56:25.98, another world best, well within the previous 56:55.6 also set by Barrios in 1991. These were his 23rd and 24th world records.

Gebrselassie made his running debut in New York City when he won the New York City Half Marathon on August 5 2007 in 59:24, breaking the previous course record by two minutes. He has a perfect record of 8-0 in winning all of his half marathons.

On September 30 2007 Gebreselassie won the Berlin Marathon in 2:04:26[12] (4:44.8 per mile), setting the world record and shaving 29 seconds off Paul Tergat's record, set on the same course in 2003. His victory further energized the celebrations of the Ethiopian Millennium (unique to the Ethiopian calendar), which began on September 12 2007.

Technique

According to his biography on the International Olympic Committee website[13], as a child growing up on a farm in Ethiopia he used to run ten kilometres to school every morning, and the same back every evening. This led to a distinctive running posture, with his left arm crooked as if still holding his schoolbooks.

Honors

Personal bests

Outdoors

Distance Mark Date Location
1,500 m 3:33.73 1999-06-06 Stuttgart
Mile 3:52.39 1999-06-27 Gateshead
3,000 m 7:25.09 1998-08-28 Brussels
Two miles 8:01.08 1997-05-31 Hengelo
5,000 m 12:39.36 1998-06-13 Helsinki
10,000 m 26:22.75 1998-06-01 Hengelo
10 km (road) 27:02 2002-12-11 Ad-Dawhah
15 km (road) 41:38 2001-11-11 Nijmegen
Ten miles (road) 44:24 2005-09-04 Tilburg
20 km (track) 56:26.0 2007-06-27 Ostrava, Czech Republic
One hour (track) 21,285 m 2007-06-27 Ostrava, Czech Republic
20 km (road)* 55:48 2006-01-15 Phoenix
Half marathon 58:55 2006-01-15 Phoenix
25 km (road) 1:11:37 2006-03-12 Alphen aan den Rijn (not recognised by IAAF)
Marathon 2:04:26 2007-09-30 Berlin

*en route to half-marathon

Indoors

Distance Mark Date Location
1,500 m 3:31.76 1998-02-01 Stuttgart
2,000 m 4:52.86 1998-02-15 Birmingham
3,000 m 7:26.15 1998-01-25 Karlsruhe
Two miles 8:04.69 2003-02-21 Birmingham
5,000 m 12:50.38 1999-02-14 Birmingham

References

  1. ^ "Gebrselassie's great plan".
  2. ^ "Men's 10,000m: Gebrselassie may be the best of all time".
  3. ^ "Gebrselassie reminds us once again of his greatness".
  4. ^ "MARATHON; Gebrselassie's Plan Could Hurt Him in the End".
  5. ^ "Steinle seeking London glory".
  6. ^ 2004 Athens Olympics Brilliant Bekele takes gold - BBC
  7. ^ 2004 Athens Olympics Haile farewell - IAAF
  8. ^ The Guardian
  9. ^ IAAF
  10. ^ IAAF
  11. ^ London Marathon
  12. ^ http://www.nytimes.com/2007/09/30/sports/othersports/30marathon.html?_r=1&hp&oref=slogin
  13. ^ International Olympic Committee website




Records
Preceded by Men's 10,000 m World Record Holder
June 5, 1995 – August 23, 1996 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Men's 10,000 m World Record Holder
August 4, 1997 – August 22, 1997 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Men's 10,000 m World Record Holder
June 1, 1998 – June 8, 2004 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Men's Half Marathon World Record Holder
January 15, 2006 – February 9, 2007 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Men's Marathon World Record Holder
September 30, 2007 – 		Succeeded by
Incumbent
Sporting positions
Preceded by Men's Zevenheuvelenloop Winner (15 km)
1994 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Men's Zevenheuvelenloop Winner (15 km)
2005 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Amsterdam Men's Marathon Winner
2005 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Men's Fastest Marathon Race
2005 – 2006 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Berlin Men's Marathon Winner
2006 – 2007 		Succeeded by
Incumbent
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