Bekele and Isinbayeva - The new generation take command

MonteCarloKeeping in tune with the ‘new generation’ theme that emerged from last month’s Olympic Games, Kenenisa Bekele and Yelena Isinbayeva, two of the sport’s youngest and brightest stars, are the 2004 Athletes of the Year.

First chosen along with eight other champions (in total, five men and five women) by a public vote and then finally selected by a panel from the International Athletics Foundation, their titles were bestowed at the prestigious IAF Gala in Monte-Carlo on Sunday night, 19 September.

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Precisely how athletes, both just 22, can rise to the top of the sport is open to some interpretation.

It could have been their youthful, passionate exuberance that propelled the pair to Olympic titles and, jointly, 11 World records this year. “I love to run,” the laid back Ethiopian distance runner says. “I love to fly,” the ebullient Russian pole vaulter says.

Or, for those astrologically inclined, it could have simply been decided in the stars, more specifically, Gemini. Isinbayeva celebrated her 22nd birthday on 3 June, Bekele on the 13th.

For those who rely only on the evidence at hand, the facts don’t lie. Simply put, the two dominated their respective disciplines in 2004, and barely out of their teens, have remarkably, just launched what had already been illustrious careers.

The young Ethiopian has been an international force for several seasons now, ever since his emergence on the scene with his historic double World Cross Country championship in 2002. So dominating was his ability that he went on to repeat the chore not once, but twice. When he finally made his first full-fledged efforts on the track, it was only a matter of time before he would succeed his mentor, friend and compatriot Haile Gebreselassie as the world's premiere long distance runner.

Last year, he won his first global title on the track, leading a podium sweep for Ethiopia in the 10,000 metres at the Stade de France in Paris. This year, he struck Olympic gold in the event in equally dominating fashion a little more than two months after claiming Gebrselassie’s World records at both 5000 and 10,000 metres, running 12:37.35 in Hengelo and 26:20.31, in a span of just eight days. For good measure, Bekele notched-up his first World record in Birmingham last February, running 12:49.60 in the 5000 metres indoors.

Isinbayeva was nearly unstoppable. She won ten of her 12 indoor and outdoor competitions (counting only finals), and in all but three of those victories, she broke the World record, beginning with a 4.81 in Donyetsk in mid February, to her 4.92 in Brussels just a few weeks ago. Perhaps the most dramatic were her monstrous leap of 4.86 to claim the World Indoor title and her final attempt clearances of 4.91 in Athens, setting the first World record in an Olympic Games since Michael Johnson’s legendary 19.32 in Atlanta eight years ago. Most astoundingly for the Volgograd native was not only her spirited competitiveness, but her uncanny ability to fight back from the brink of disaster. Her competitive ferocity was displayed brilliantly in Athens, where she bounced back into the gold medal hunt with a dramatic third attempt success.

Neither athlete went down easily to opponents this season. Bekele lost just once, finishing second in the 5000 metres final in Athens, kept from an Olympic distance double by Hicham El Guerrouj’s own historic double.  To relegate Isinbayeva to the role of runner-up, it took a World record by compatriot Svetlana Feofanova to do it in Iráklio, Greece. Isinbayeva responded the way she does best, by reclaiming the World record in her very next competition.

What comes next for the pair is uncertain, but perhaps Bekele summed up their thoughts best: "I'm very young and to win this prize, is very special at this age,” he said. “I hope that in the future, I can do it again."

Bob Ramsak for the IAAF

Bekele and Isinbayeva in 2004

Kenenisa Bekele

3000m/5000/10,000m/Cross Country

10 Jan - 12km Cross Country, 34:36, 1 Milan
18 Jan - 10.8km Cross Country, 31:01, 1 Seville
31 Jan 3000m 7:30.77i,  1 Sparkassen Stuttgart
20 Feb  5000m 12:49.60i,  1 Norw Union Birmingham WR
20 Mar - 4km Cross Country 11:31, 1 WC Brussels
21 Mar - 12km Cross Country 35:52, 1 WC Brussels
8 May - 5000m 13:34.1h,  1 NC Addis Ababa
31 May - 5000m 12:37.35,  1 FBKG Hengelo WR 
8 Jun - 10,000m 26:20.31,  1 GSpike Ostrava  WR
27 Jun - 3000m 7:41.31,  1 Norw Union Gateshead
20 Aug - 10,000m 27:05.10,  1 OG Athens 
25 Aug - 5000m 13:21.16, 1h1 OG Athens 
28 Aug - 5000m 13:14.59,  2 OG Athens

Yelena Isinbayeva

Pole Vault  

24 Jan - 4.76i, 1 Norw Union Glasgow
31 Jan - 4.68i, 1 Sparkassen Stuttgart
15 Feb - 4.83i, 1 Stars Donetsk - 2 x WR
22 Feb - 4.50i, 2 Athina 2004 Athína
5 Mar - 4.40i, 2=q WC Budapest
6 Mar - 4.86i, 1 WC Budapest WR
27 Jun - 4.87, 1 Norw Union Gateshead WR
4 Jul - 4.65, 2 Tsiklitiria Iráklio
25 Jul - 4.89, 1 v3Nat Birmingham WR
30 Jul - 4.90, 1 Norw Union London WR
21 Aug - 4.40, 2qB OG Athens
24 Aug - 4.91, 1 OG Athens WR
3 Sep - 4.92, 1 VD Bruxelles WR
19 Sep - 4.83,  1 WAF Monaco