Historic double for
kenenisa Bekele
(UKPA) – Kenenisa Bekele completed the first long-distance double in World Championship history with victory in the 5,000 metres on the final day of competition in Berlin.

The Ethiopian had unusually been forced to set the pace for some of the 12 and a half laps but still had enough left to win a sprint finish with America’s Bernard Lagat down the home straight. James Kwalia C’Kurui of Qatar took bronze.

“It was a very hard race. Everybody was so strong but I’m so happy I did well,” said Bekele, who had won the 10,000m on Monday in the Olympic Stadium.

“Berlin is a special place. I’ll never forget this race. I won double gold and I’m so happy.”

American Brittney Reese took the long jump title – which thankfully took place in much better weather than the torrential rain which marred qualifying – with a world-leading 7.10m.

Russia’s Tatyana Lebedeva was second with 6.97m and Karin Mey Melis of Turkey third with 6.80m.

In the men’s javelin, Andreas Thorkildsen of Norway took gold with a massive second-round throw of 89.59m, with Guillermo Martinez of Cuba claiming silver with 86.41m and Yukifumi Murakami third with 82.97m.

After the success of Caster Semenya, Mbulaeni Mulaudzi made it a South African double over 800m with a hard-fought victory.

Mulaudzi just held off Kenya’s Alfred Yego and Bahrain’s Yusuf Kamel to win in 1:45.29, with the top seven separated by 0.57s.

As expected, the United States won both the men’s and women’s 4x400m relays in dominating fashion. Britain took silver and Australia bronze in the men’s race with Jamaica and Russia filling the minor places in the women’s.