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News23 Aug 2009


Gold - Kenenisa BEKELE, ETH

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It was a very hard race. Everybody was very strong, but I'm so happy I did well, I did better. I'm so happy about my performance. I'm also so happy for my country. I'm the first athlete from Ethiopia to win this race at the World Championships. I want to thank all the people here in the stadium. Berlin is a special place. I'll never forget this race. I won double gold and I'm so happy.

[On Lagat's chase]: I know he can't beat me at this pace. It was very tough from the start. That's why I wanted a slow pace. I led so much because I really wanted to make it a slow race.

[On the possibility of world records this season.]: I don't think so. It's so hard. It's so tough. After running 20 kilometres in one week, it will be very tough, so I don't think so.

On the last 100m there were two guys who wanted to win. I thought i was going to have it, but Bekele was stronger. I gave everything I had. You will see me again, for a long, long time. I will be getting stronger next year. I am especially looking forward to the London Olympics. I am excited about the future. I lost my title, but I am very happy with what I achieved today. I already got a bronze in the 1.500m and today I got the silver medal. I was running today with an injury on my left foot because of somebody's spikes. Today I was not like 100%. I did not know I was going to run today. It is a huge cut with stitches. I will give it a week to heal and then run the 3.000m in Gateshead.

The pace was changing in this race very much. Sometimes it was slow sometimes we were pushing. But I expected much faster pace because I know that Bekele can push it from the beginning and I was prepared for that. I started to compete in Qatar colors in 2006, but the years 2007 (fracture) and 2008 - when I finished 8th in Beijing, were not good for me. I am happy that I managed to get that high. I was waiting for the Qatar flag but nobody gave it to me as maybe nobody expected me to get a medal. I will travel to Switzerland from Berlin, because I train there. When it is cold, I move to Kenya.

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