- Title: Berlin Marathon winner wants to take part in next Olympics
- Date: 29th September 2019
- Summary: BERLIN, GERMANY (SEPTEMBER 29, 2019) (REUTERS) ***WARNING: CONTAINS FLASH PHOTOGRAPHY*** WINNER OF BERLIN MARATHON, KENENISA BEKELE, ARRIVING FOR NEWS CONFERENCE CAMERAS BEKELE AT NEWS CONFERENCE (SOUNDBITE) (English) MARATHON WINNER KENENISA BEKELE, SAYING: "Yeah. I'm feeling happy. You know, I (am) disappointed a little bit. In (a) marathon losing [missing} (by) 2, 3 seconds (the) record. It's a pain." BEKELE AT NEWS CONFERENCE (SOUNDBITE) (English) MARATHON WINNER KENENISA BEKELE, SAYING: "I don't expect first time a record in this race. For the next race we will prepare well. Now just to show something and after we will prepare well." BEKELE AT NEWS CONFERENCE (SOUNDBITE) (English) MARATHON WINNER KENENISA BEKELE, SAYING: "I hope. My goal is to participate in Olympics also in marathon. But of course I'm not the only decider. You know maybe federations. There is some group you know who decide. Who they're going to try to not. So. I'm happy if I if I participate." BEKELE, SECOND PLACE BIRHANU LEGESE AND THIRD PLACE SISAY LEMMA SHAKING HANDS WITH OFFICIALS VARIOUS OF BEKELE, LEGESE AND LEMMA POSING FOR PICTURES BEKELE WALKING AWAY MEDIA MARATHON WINNER OF WOMEN, ASHETE BEKERE, AND SECOND PLACE WOMEN, MARE DIBABA, WALKING ON STAGE (SOUNDBITE) (Amharic) MARATHON WINNER OF WOMEN, ASHETE BEKERE, SAYING: --ACCORDING TO OFFICIAL TRANSLATION-- "I was confident to be the winner (of the female race) today because of my times at my training in Ethiopia. The training was decisive." WIDE BEKERE AND DIBABA AT NEWS CONFERENCE (SOUNDBITE) (English) MARATHON OF WOMEN SECOND PLACE, MARE DIBABA SAYING: "My race today, it was fantastic. Because what I had come for here was only two things: to be on (the) podium and make my personal best. And I've done it." VARIOUS OF BEKERE AND DIBABA AT NEWS CONFERENCE
- Embargoed: 13th October 2019 14:08
- Keywords: Bekele Bekere Berlin Marathon record
- Location: BERLIN, GERMANY
- City: BERLIN, GERMANY
- Country: Germany
- Topics: Marathon,Sport
- Reuters ID: LVA001AYPLMWV
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: Former Olympic and world champion Kenenisa Bekele staged a thrilling comeback to win the Berlin marathon on Sunday (September 29), dramatically missing out on the world record by two seconds after recording the second fastest time ever.
Ethiopian Bekele, winner in Berlin in 2016 and world record holder over 5,000 and 10,000 metres, finished in two hours, one minute and 41 seconds, agonisingly close to Eliud Kipchoge's world record time despite a full sprint in the final 400 metres.
Kipchoge, who set the world's best mark in Berlin last year, was absent to prepare for his renewed sub-two hour marathon attempt in Vienna on Oct. 12.
"Yeah. I'm feeling happy. You know, I am disappointed a little bit. In a marathon missing by 2, 3 seconds the record. It's a pain," Bekele told reporters.
"I don't expected first time a record in this race. For the next race we will prepare well. Now just to show something and after we will prepare well."
Bekele was part of a group, including fellow countrymen Birhanu Legese and Sisay Lemma, that quickly broke from the pack with a quick pace.
Legese, winner of this year's Tokyo marathon, then gradually shook off Bekele and then Lemma after the 30km mark.
But Bekele battled back, leaving Lemma in his wake and then reined in Legese to cruise ahead but missed the world record time by two seconds despite a thrilling sprint towards the finish line.
And he has his goal set high: "My goal is to participate in Olympics also in marathon. But of course I'm not the only decider."
Legese took second place in 2:02:48, becoming the third fastest marathon runner ever. Lemma was third, another 48 seconds behind.
In the women's race Ethiopian Ashete Bekere beat Mare Dibaba in a sprint to the finish to win with a time of 2:20:14 and complete the Ethiopian sweep.
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