K.Ken Nakamura
22 September 2000 – The 10,000m final of the 1996 Olympic Games where Paul Tergat made a valiant attempt to break supreme finisher and arch-rival Haile Gebrselassie, will probably go down as one of the most classic races in the history of the distance. Here’s hoping for a repeat performance in Sydney…
Although common perception may be that Kenyans dominate men's distance track events including the 10,000m, after Naftali Temu won a gold medal in the 1968 Olympic Games in high altitude of Mexico City, Kenya has been locked out of the gold medal Olympic Games cupboard. They have been more successful at the World Championships, winning titles in 1987 and 1991. Former basketball player Paul Tergat, winner of five consecutive World Cross Country Championship Championships was Kenya's best hope for gold at the 1996 Olympic Games. He was third in the 1995 World Championships, the race won by Haile Gebrselassie of Ethiopia, 1993 World 10,000m Champion.
Haile Gebrselassie may be the greatest distance runner of all time. After completing a 5000-10,000m double at the World Junior Championships in Seoul '92, he almost pulled off the same double at the World Championships in Stuttgart a year later. In the German city he won the 10,000m in 27:46.02 by outkicking defending champion Moses Tanui, with a 54.98 final lap. However, at the 5000m, Ismael Kirui broke away from the leaders early in the race, and despite 56.5 for the last 400m, Gebrselassie was unable to catch the Kenyan and was second in 13:03.17.
Gebrselassie's success continued. In 1994 and again in 1995 he set world records at the 5000m (12:56.96, 12:44.39). In 1995 he also set a world record at the 10,000m (26:43.53) and successfully defended his World title in Goteborg, in 27:12.95) with a 25.1 for the last 200m.
In the 1996 Olympic Games, the 10,000m final started slowly; the lead pack passed the 5000m in pedestrian 13:55.22. Then, Paul Koech made a strong surge, and thus began the one of the greatest 10,000m race of all-time.
Koech ran the sixth kilometre 2:40.44 (26:44.4 10,000m pace). Both Koech and Josphat Machuka of Kenya ran aggressively at the front, which broke up the lead pack, and by 8km, only six Africans were left in contention. Passing the finish line with a five laps to go, Tergat bolted into the lead and ran the next 200m in 29 seconds. Only Gebrselassie was able to cover his move immediately. Tergat, who kept on pushing the pace with Gebrselassie in tow, covered the ninth kilometre in 2:33.90 (25:39 10,000m pace). But he was unable to shake off Gebrselassie, and with one lap to go, it was Gebrselassie who took over the lead and ran the next 200m in 28.4. Tergat did not give up, and closed some ground on Gebrselassie in the final 200m, but fell short by less than a second, 27:08.17 to 27:07.34. Salah Hissou who set a world 10,000m record (26:38.08) just after the Olympics in Brussels was third.
From 1995 to 1999, Tergat won the World Cross-Country championships. Although he is probably the greatest cross-country runner of all-time, on the track he was only the second best, behind the legendary Gebrselassie. A year after the epic race in Atlanta, in Athens, expectations were high for another epic confrontation between Tergat and Gebrselassie. However, Tergat never made an honest attempt to win in Athens, or at least so it seemed to the spectators. Instead, it was Gebrselassie, who had recaptured the 10,000m world record (26:31.32) earlier in a season, who made a move with 500m to go, uncharacteristically early for the Ethiopian. He won the World title for the third time in 27:24.58. Tergat was second and Hissou third again, a repeat of Atlanta.
After the World Championships Tergat took over the world record (26:27.85) from Gebrselassie in Brussels. But early in 1998 Gebrselassie improved it to 26:22.75 on his favourite track in Hengelo. The final of the 10,000m in Sevilla was run in oppressive weather. The pack passed the 5000m in very slow 14:17.17, and Kenyans were not making any serious move. Instead, it was Antonio Pinto, a 1998 European Champion who made an attempt for a medal at 9000m with Gebrselassie in hot pursuit.
It is reported that Gebrselassie by his own admission is currently about 75% fit. Tergat who ran the 10000m in 27:03.87 in Brussels does not seems to be in peak form either.
But with Gebrselassie not in peak form, this should be the best and perhaps the last chance for a 31 year old Tergat to win the Olympic Gold medal at the 10,000m.