| Host City: Athens, Greece |
Format: First round (First 8 & 4 fastest to final) (Aug 3) |
| Dates: August 1–10, 1997 |
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| Nations participating: 198 |
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| Athletes participating: 1882 |
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Main venue: Olympic Stadium
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| Overview by IAAF |
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| Unhappy running on such a hard track, and at the final championships where a 10,000m heat was required, Gebrselassie expended the least possible energy in stretching his world title win streak to three. As he remarked, “my win was very easy, unlike the one in the Olympics.” Content to sit in while his compatriot Jifar led past halfway in a leisurely 13:58.79, and patiently biding his time as Koech picked up the pace after 7000m, Gebrselassie struck 530m out. His initial burst of speed was awesome and a 56.0 last lap allowed his closest pursuer, Tergat, no opportunity of getting on level terms, although he did narrow the deficit with a 55.2 last lap. Gebrselassie covered the second half in 13:25.1 with a final kilometre of 2:30.7. The first three finished in the same order as at the Atlanta Olympics – the only individual event in which that occurred in Athens |
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The men's 10,000 metres event featured at the 1997 World Championships in Athens, Greece. There were a total number of 33 participating athletes, with two qualifying heats and the final being held on 6 August 1997.
The question was, how to beat the Olympic Champion and new World Record holder Haile Gebrselassie. The pack, led by Kenyans Paul Koech and Dominic Kirui jogged around the track for almost 15 laps with a few constants; Gebrselassie was marking the leader from second or third place, and everybody else was jockeying for position to be near him. With ten laps to go, previous world record holder Salah Hissou made a more serious move to the front, the pace quickened by four seconds a lap and all the contenders reacted. Hissou only held the lead for a lap before dropping back but the faster trend continued and the pack dwindled to six. Even Kirui dropped off the back, but Koech continued to lead with his teammate Paul Tergat focused on Gebrselassie's back. The pace gradually slowed slightly, while Hissou and Domingos Castro took their turns behind Gebrselassie as the laps diminished. With two laps to go, Hissou and Castro boxed Gebrselassie and moved around him, that lasted for about 100 metres before Gebrselassie simply ran around them assuming a defensive position on Koech's outside shoulder. 550 metres before the finish, Gebrselassie took off, opening up a 10-metre gap before he reached the straightaway. For Gebrselassie, it was an easy last lap, almost a victory lap while still in competition. Tergat and behind him Hissou launched into their best last lap kicks, but it was far too little and too late to catch Gebrselassie. Tergat separated from Hissou for silver.
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10,000m |
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6 August |
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Event report men 10,000m Final
World record holder and Olympic champion, Haile Gebrselassie of Ethiopia, retained his world 10,000m title tonight by shadowing every move of his rivals from Kenya and Morocco and striking decisively 550m from home. He won his third straight World Championship 10,000m gold medal in 27:24.58. Paul Tergat of Kenya and Salah Hissou of Morocco ran their best times for 1997, 27:25.62 and 27:28.67, in second and third place respectively. The race began slowly, the lead alternating between Said Beriou of Morocco and the Kenyans Dominic Kirui and Paul Koech. They passed 1000m at a pedestrian 2:55.76 and 2000m in 5:39.99. Hissou took the lead briefly at 4000m (11:11.85) but the expected injection of pace did not last and the Kenyans resumed control. Gebrselassie covered every move by Kirui and as the field passed the half way mark, in 13:58.79, the defending champion was sitting comfortably in the leading group, himself carefully shadowed by Hissou. At this stage Tergat had not shown at all. At 6000m Hissou made a move - Koech, Gebresilasie, Domingos Castro of Portugal, Tergat, and two Ethiopians, Assefa Mozegebu and Habte Jifar stayed with him; but the group was down to seven. Shortly after 7000m (19:27.92) it was down to six, Jifar finding the increasing pace too hot to handle - the kilometre was run in a little over 2:38. Koech led through 8000m in 22:10.78 with Gebresilasie sitting comfortably behind him, although Tergat in fourth place also looked effortless. Despite attempts by Hissou to take his position, Gebresilassie clung to Koech’s shoulder until they rounded the final bend before the bell. Then the Ethiopian attacked. He was gone in a flash, taking a 10 metre lead by the time he reached the straight, 20 metres by the bell. Tergat and Hissou responded but it was too late. Despite their gallant chase the Ethiopian had timed his move perfectly and came home 10 metres clear.
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Final |
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| 1 |
Haile Gebrselassie |
ETH |
18 Apr 73 |
27.24.58 |
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| 2 |
Paul Tergat |
KEN |
17 Jun 69 |
27.25.62 |
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| 3 |
Salah Hissou |
MAR |
16 Jan 72 |
27.28.67 |
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| 4 |
Paul Koech |
KEN |
25 Jun 69 |
27.30.39 |
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| 5 |
Assefa Mezegebu |
ETH |
19 Jun 78 |
27.32.48 |
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| 6 |
Domingos Castro |
POR |
22 Nov 63 |
27.36.52 |
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| 7 |
Habte Jifar |
ETH |
29 Jan 76 |
28.00.29 |
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| 8 |
Julio Rey |
ESP |
13 Jan 72 |
28.07.06 |
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| 9 |
Stefano Baldini |
ITA |
25 May 71 |
28.11.97 |
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| 10 |
Darren Wilson |
AUS |
9 Aug 68 |
28.20.16 |
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| 11 |
Kamiel Maase |
NED |
20 Oct 71 |
28.23.20 |
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| 12 |
Dominic Kirui |
KEN |
12 Apr 67 |
28.28.13 |
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| 13 |
Abderrahim Zitouna |
MAR |
20 Dec 70 |
28.29.09 |
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| 14 |
Hendrick Ramaala |
RSA |
2 Feb 72 |
28.33.48 |
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| 15 |
Tendai Chimusasa |
ZIM |
28 Jan 71 |
28.55.29 |
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| 16 |
Carsten Eich |
GER |
9 Jan 70 |
28.59.34 |
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| 17 |
Saïd Bérioui |
MAR |
3 Jun 75 |
29.22.05 |
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| 18 |
José Ramos |
POR |
27 Jul 68 |
29.49.00 |
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Mohammed Mourhit |
BEL |
10 Oct 70 |
DNS |
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Toshinari Takaoka |
JPN |
24 Sep 70 |
DNS |
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Event report men 10,000m heats
Ethiopian Haile Gebreselassie, the defending world champion, 1996 Olympic gold medallist and world record holder, advanced to Wednesday’s final by winning the 2nd heat in 27:55.36, the fastest time of the evening. Habte Jifar, also an Ethiopian, was 2nd with 27:55.71 and Kenyan Dominic Kirui was 3rd in 27:56.62. Six runners were under 28 minutes, with Australian Darren Wilson setting a season’s best of 27:57.54 that qualified him in 5th place. Kirui was the leader at the 5000 meters mark (13:58.82). Gebreselassie took control of the race with 2 laps to go and the last kilometre was covered in 2:37.70. The 1st heat was won by Portugal’s Domingos Castro in 28:07.04. Castro took command between the 7th and 8th kilometre, after breaking the race open with a 61.23 lap. Belgium’s Mohammed Mourhit was 2nd with 28:12.02 and Morocco’s Said Berioui, a Junior athlete, was 3rd in 28:12.33. Former world record holder, Morocco’s Salah Hissou, was 8th in his first race of the year at the distance, recording 28:15.09.
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Heats |
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3 August |
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Heat 1 |
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| 1 |
Domingos Castro |
POR |
22 Nov 63 |
28.07.04 |
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| 2 |
Mohammed Mourhit |
BEL |
10 Oct 70 |
28.12.02 |
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| 3 |
Saïd Bérioui |
MAR |
3 Jun 75 |
28.12.33 |
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| 4 |
Carsten Eich |
GER |
9 Jan 70 |
28.12.46 |
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| 5 |
Paul Koech |
KEN |
25 Jun 69 |
28.13.24 |
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| 6 |
Assefa Mezegebu |
ETH |
19 Jun 78 |
28.13.95 |
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| 7 |
Paul Tergat |
KEN |
17 Jun 69 |
28.13.98 |
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| 8 |
Salah Hissou |
MAR |
16 Jan 72 |
28.15.09 |
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| 9 |
José Ramos |
POR |
27 Jul 68 |
28.20.06 |
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| 10 |
Carlos de la Torre |
ESP |
18 May 66 |
28.20.50 |
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| 11 |
Toshiyuki Hayata |
JPN |
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28.27.97 |
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| 12 |
Dan Middleman |
USA |
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28.56.76 |
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| 13 |
Marco Condori |
BOL |
26 Mar 66 |
29.51.24 |
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| 14 |
Agustin Moran |
PAN |
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30.12.32 |
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Heat 2 |
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| 1 |
Haile Gebrselassie |
ETH |
18 Apr 73 |
27.55.36 |
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| 2 |
Habte Jifar |
ETH |
29 Jan 76 |
27.55.71 |
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| 3 |
Dominic Kirui |
KEN |
12 Apr 67 |
27.56.62 |
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| 4 |
Abderrahim Zitouna |
MAR |
20 Dec 70 |
27.57.11 |
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| 5 |
Darren Wilson |
AUS |
9 Aug 68 |
27.57.54 |
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| 6 |
Kamiel Maase |
NED |
20 Oct 71 |
27.57.78 |
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| 7 |
Julio Rey |
ESP |
13 Jan 72 |
28.03.36 |
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| 8 |
Hendrick Ramaala |
RSA |
2 Feb 72 |
28.05.70 |
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| 9 |
Toshinari Takaoka |
JPN |
24 Sep 70 |
28.07.36 |
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| 10 |
Stefano Baldini |
ITA |
25 May 71 |
28.07.81 |
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| 11 |
Tendai Chimusasa |
ZIM |
28 Jan 71 |
28.14.03 |
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| 12 |
Mohamed Ezzher |
FRA |
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28.47.48 |
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| 13 |
Joao N'Tyamba |
ANO |
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29.38.92 |
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| 14 |
Bradley Barquist |
USA |
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29.43.01 |
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| 15 |
Margarito Zamora |
MEX |
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29.52.03 |
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| 16 |
Panagiotis Charamis |
GRE |
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30.08.60 |
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| 17 |
Georges Richmond |
TAH |
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31.48.17 |
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| - |
Carlos Patricio |
POR |
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DNF |
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| - |
Zoltan Kaldy |
HUN |
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DNF |
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| Order / Lane | ATHLETE | COUNTRY | PB | SB 1997 |
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| 1 |
Paul Kipsigich Koech |
 KEN |
26:56.78 |
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| 2 |
Marco Antonio Condori |
 BOL |
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| 3 |
Mohammed Mourhit |
 BEL |
27:17.09 |
27:17.09 |
| 4 |
Dan Middleman |
 USA |
29:50.72 |
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| 5 |
Salah Hissou |
 MAR |
26:38.08 |
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| 6 |
Carlos de la Torre |
 ESP |
27:49.17 |
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| 7 |
Toshiyuki Hayata |
 JPN |
27:53.12 |
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| 8 |
Assefa Mezgebu |
 ETH |
27:25.01 |
27:25.01 |
| 9 |
José Ramos |
 POR |
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| 10 |
Carsten Eich |
 GER |
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| 11 |
Agustín Morán |
 PAN |
30:07.0 |
30:07.0 |
| 12 |
Paul Tergat |
KEN |
26:54.41 |
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| 13 |
Saïd Berioui |
MAR |
27:35.34 |
27:35.34 |
| 14 |
Domingos Castro |
POR |
27:34.53 |
27:41.75 |
| Order / Lane | ATHLETE | COUNTRY | PB | SB 1997 |
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João N'Tyamba |
 ANG |
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Georges Richmond |
 PYF |
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| 1 |
Darren Wilson |
 AUS |
27:37.00 |
28:21.03 |
| 2 |
Julio Rey |
ESP |
27:55.19 |
27:55.19 |
| 3 |
Haile Gebrselassie |
ETH |
26:31.32 |
26:31.32 |
| 4 |
Mohamed Ezzher |
 FRA |
27:43.69 |
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| 5 |
Zoltán Káldy |
 HUN |
28:01.88 |
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| 6 |
Stefano Baldini |
 ITA |
27:43.98 |
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| 7 |
Toshinari Takaoka |
JPN |
27:53.03 |
27:53.03 |
| 8 |
Dominic Kirui |
KEN |
27:31.10 |
27:31.10 |
| 9 |
Abderrahim Zitouna |
MAR |
27:36.73 |
27:36.73 |
| 10 |
Margarito Zamora |
 MEX |
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| 11 |
Kamiel Maase |
 NED |
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| 12 |
Panayotis Charamis |
 GRE |
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| 13 |
Carlos Patrício |
POR |
29:15.41 |
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| 14 |
Hendrick Ramaala |
 RSA |
27:36.30 |
27:36.30 |
| 15 |
Bradley Barquist |
USA |
29:11.20 |
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| 16 |
Tendai Chimusasa |
 ZIM |
27:57.84 |
28:09.43 |
| 17 |
Habte Jifar |
ETH |
27:30.26 |
27:30.26 |
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