Bekele wins 5,000, completes distance double; Lagat 9th
Associated Press
BEIJING — Kenenisa Bekele of Ethiopia has won the 5,000 meters in an Olympic record to complete a distance double at the Beijing Games.
Bekele, who had already successfully defended his 10,000 title, won Saturday's 5,000-meter final in 12 minutes, 57.82 seconds.
Kenyans won silver and bronze, with Eliud Kipchoge second in 13:02.80 and Edwin Cheryiyot Soi finishing third in 13:06.22.
World champion Bernard Lagat of the United States finished 9th.
It was the second double here for Ethiopia after Tirunesh Dibaba won an unprecedented women's 5,000-10,000 combination.
A three-time world champion at 10,000, Bekele just missed a double at the Athens 2004 Olympics when he got the 10,000 gold and finished second to Moroccan great Hicham El Guerrouj in the 5,000.
