Tag Archives: haile

Haile Gebreselassie should not be like us – Laura Williamson

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Why this giant of athletics shouldn't be like the rest of us

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UPDATED:

22:00 GMT, 15 July 2012

'You're sweaty,’ says Haile Gebrselassie, one of the greatest distance runners of all time, with that infectious grin taking over his face; his eyes bright.

Of course I am. We have been running — well, I have been running. Gebrselassie, meanwhile, has barely broken out of a walk — through central London on a surprisingly warm summer morning.

It is a surreal experience. Commuters turn and stare as we jog through Green Park, wondering if this 5ft 5in man with the incomprehensibly slender hips, small steps and distinctive running style is the four-time world 10,000 metres champion and former marathon world record-holder.

Running duo: Haile Gebreselassie with Laura Williamson

Running duo: Haile Gebreselassie with Laura Williamson

He runs that way, his arms crooked, because he used to carry his books in his left hand on the long walk to and from school.

‘Always you hold your book on the left side,’ he says.

‘You have to hold not just this book, otherwise it drops. To take care of your book, my left hand is not active. It is more relaxed.

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VIEW FULL ARCHIVE

‘Plus, I was barefoot. It’s easy to develop that strength. I had my first shoes when I was 14, I think.’

Gebrselassie is 39 now. Think of the pounding that fragile body must have taken over the years; the miles upon miles he has covered during gruelling, three-hour training runs near his home in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

That he nearly made it to a fifth Olympic Games is a remarkable feat in itself, but his disappointment at missing out on London is tinged with realism.

‘Training the way I want to train, it’s not any more there,’ he says. ‘Of course the motivation is still there, but the discipline…

‘Mentally you don’t accept it. But physically Yes. I wanted to run fast.But physically No, this is your maximum.

‘You’re very disappointed. When people run fast and sprint, when your body’s not replying… ’ He trails off.

‘That’s how the rest of us feel,’ I say.

He smiles gently, but his eyes give him away: Gebrselassie isn’t used to feeling ‘like the rest of us’.

Legend: The Ethiopian runner will be remembered for years to come

Legend: The Ethiopian runner will be remembered for years to come

That’s when it hits me. I’m not sure I want to see him run in London, anyway. I think I’d prefer to remember him destroying opponents on the track before he moved up to the marathon and excelled at that as well.

I felt the same when I watched Venus Williams’s meek first-round exit in the women’s singles at Wimbledon this year. I feel the same about Paula Radcliffe’s attempts to end her Olympic hoodoo in London.

Should we applaud these athletes’ brave, determined struggles against injury, illness and their refusal to accept the passage of time

Key question: Is it better to go out at the top of your game or keep trying until you fail

Key question: Is it better to go out at the top of your game or keep trying until you fail

Or is it acceptable for us to feel a certain tinge of sadness; wishing that they had gone out in a blaze of glory befitting their careers

I am convinced it’s the latter.

I’m glad I will be able to look back on my four-mile run with Gebrselassie with fondness. I was sweaty and he was not: I don’t want him to be ‘like the rest of us’.

Haile Gebrselassie is the mentor to the G4S 4teen programme, helping 14 young athletes achieve their dream to compete at London 2012: www.g4ssport.com

What they said

Team USA basketball star and 2008 Olympic gold medallist Seimone Augustus laughed, more than a little embarrassed, when I asked her what she knows about the Team GB girls she will face in Manchester this week: ‘Erm… I’m going to learn a lot. Read me their names. Three of them play in the States I know their schools.’

Who Azania Stewart (on the ball) is one of the Team GB players

Who Azania Stewart (on the ball) is one of the Team GB players

Safe to say the likes of Russia and Australia may provide a bigger threat to the USA’s crown than the first British Olympic women’s basketball team at London 2012.

… And this is what I've been doing this week

Wincing at Shun Fujimoto’s exploits in the 1976 Olympic Games during the BBC’s excellent Faster, Higher, Stronger documentary about gymnastics. He competed on the pommel horse and rings despite having broken his right knee – helping Japan to win the team gold medal.

Enjoying fricasseed salmon and organic chicken at Tottenham’s impressive new training complex before Andre Villas-Boas met the written press. I wonder how long that will last (the food I mean, obviously – not the manager)…

In attendance: Laura went to Andre Villas-Boas's conference for the written press

In attendance: Laura went to Andre Villas-Boas's conference for the written press

Watching Perri Shakes-Drayton’s 53.78sec PB as she won the 400 metres hurdles at Crystal Palace on Friday night. She said: ‘Today I thought to myself, “Come on girl. Pull your socks up”.’ She did – running the second fastest time by a Briton.

Performance of the week

Bradley Wiggins’ ‘perfect’ ride in the Tour de France time trial on Monday. ‘Winning’ doesn’t do it justice — he decimated the field.

Those gangly legs earned him the nickname ‘Sticks’ but they seemed to motor with barely any effort and his back was so level you felt he could have carried a pint of lager around the course without spilling a drop.

Star man: Bradley Wiggins has been in fine fettle

Star man: Bradley Wiggins has been in fine fettle

London 2012 Olympics: Haile Gebrselassie disappointed to miss out on Games

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London isn't calling for Gebrselassie as legend misses out on Games

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UPDATED:

21:30 GMT, 29 May 2012

Haile Gebrselassie said his disappointment at missing out on a place at the Games is even more acute because they are in London.

The double Olympic 10,000m champion, who also missed out in the marathon, said there was 'no chance' he would be selected but vowed not to retire.

The Ethiopian, 39, added: 'I'm very disappointed. If it is not London I don't think I would care that much. But London I have to be here.'

Out of time: Gebrselassie will not take part in this summer's Games

Out of time: Gebrselassie will not take part in this summer's Games

Two hour marathon won"t be beaten, says Haile Gebrselassie

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Two hours That's Haile unlikely, says former record holder Gebrselassie

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UPDATED:

23:05 GMT, 19 April 2012

Less than four years ago, the legendary Ethiopian Haile Gebrselassie became the first man to run the marathon inside two hours four minutes.

This year, the 39-year-old has acknowledged he is not quick enough to be selected for the Olympic Games.

Two men have surpassed his three-and-a-half-year record and 13 have broken the 2hr 5min barrier that stood until 2003. Could the two-hour barrier soon be the marathon equivalent of Roger Bannister’s four-minute mile

Olympic no show: Haile Gebrselassie won't compete at the Olympics

Olympic no show: Haile Gebrselassie won't compete at the Olympics

Won't be done: Gebrselassie says it is unlikely the two hour marathon will be broken

Won't be done: Gebrselassie says it is unlikely the two hour marathon will be broken

London race director David Bedford says it will happen. ‘I can see no physiological reasons why it can’t happen,’ he said. ‘Once they get close and sniff it, it’ll come.’

But Glenn Latimer, former coach and now chief executive of World Marathon Majors, who organise the most prestigious city races, disagrees.

‘Not in my lifetime, perhaps never,’ he said. ‘The four-minute mile was a phoney barrier, nowhere close to a man’s limits. The marathon is.’

There is an added motivation for running fast in London on Sunday. All six Kenyans in the race — defending champion Emmanuel Mutai, world-record holder Patrick Makau and quartet Wilson Kipsang, Abel Kirui, Vincent Kipruto and Martin Lel — are competing for the right to be one of three who return for the Olympic marathon.

And Tsegaye Kebede, the winner of London in 2010, knows that, in order to take one of the three Ethiopian places, he has to run quicker than four of his compatriots did in Dubai in January.

‘I need to run two hours four minutes or quicker to get to the Olympics,’ he said. No wonder Gebrselassie gave up on making it.

Haile Gebrselassie to run in Manchester 10K

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Gebrselassie set for 10K run in Manchester – but he won't compete in Games marathon

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UPDATED:

21:56 GMT, 17 April 2012

Haile Gebrselassie has confirmed his participation in next month’s 10k Bupa Great Manchester Run. The veteran Ethiopian has crossed the line first for the last three years and is chasing a fifth title.

Mad for Manchester: Haile Gebrselassie will run in the Bupa 10K

Mad for Manchester: Haile Gebrselassie will run in the Bupa 10K

'Although I will not be taking part in the Olympic marathon I am looking forward to coming to Manchester again and to a course which I love,' he said.

Paula Radcliffe racing against illness

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Radcliffe racing against illness again as she takes on legend Gebrselassie

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UPDATED:

21:00 GMT, 13 April 2012

Paula Radcliffe’s 38-year-old body will start out on its final Olympic campaign in Vienna on Sunday fighting another in the litany of ailments that have stalked her career.

The marathon world record holder is suffering from bronchitis. ‘It’s something I’m prone to around winter time,’ said Radcliffe, who completes her course of antibiotics today. ‘It’s not such a bad thing given there’s quite a long way to go and I have the volume of training behind me. It’s just frustrating because I don’t have many races planned.’

Thumbs up: Paula Radcliffe (right) and Haile Gebrselassie ahead of their special half marathon race in Vienna

Thumbs up: Paula Radcliffe (right) and Haile Gebrselassie ahead of their special half marathon race in Vienna

Nonetheless, she will still run a
novel form of the half marathon around Vienna’s streets, setting off as
the hare to be chased down by Ethiopian legend Haile Gebrselassie in an
adjunct to the mass participation races. The gap between the pair will
be 7min 52sec, based on the difference between their personal bests. But
their motivations are wider apart.

While Gebrselassie, 39 next week, has
no intention of competing in this summer’s London Games, Radcliffe is
desperate to use her home tarmac to put right her well-chronicled
Olympic disappointments.

Despite starting as favourite for
gold at Athens in 2004, she failed to finish. And, after suffering
injuries in the countdown to Beijing in 2008, she cramped up and
finished 23rd.

Home hero: Radcliffe has already been selected for the marathon at the London Olympics

Home hero: Radcliffe has already been selected for the marathon at the London Olympics

So what does London promise ‘I would
be happy with a bronze,’ she said. ‘I don’t have an Olympic medal so
any would be great. I’d love a gold but I am realistic.

‘I’m not going into it holding as many cards as I was in 2004. That didn’t work out for me.

‘That whole frustrating thing still drives me. The lessons I learned were horrible but they do stand you in good stead.’

Paula Radcliffe given head start in race with Haile Gebrselassie

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Radcliffe handed big head start in special race against marathon legend Gebrselassie

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UPDATED:

15:50 GMT, 13 April 2012

Paula Radcliffe will be given a head start of seven minutes and 52 seconds when she takes on Haile Gebrselassie in a unique half marathon chase race in Vienna on Sunday.

Marathon world record holder Radcliffe's advantage is the difference between the two athletes' personal bests over the distance.

Radcliffe, 38, has a recognised best of 66 minutes 47 seconds, although she has recorded faster on a downhill course, while the Ethiopian's mark is 58.55, which was a world record when he set it in 2006.

Thumbs up: Paula Radcliffe (right) and Haile Gebrselassie ahead of their special half marathon race in Vienna

Thumbs up: Paula Radcliffe (right) and Haile Gebrselassie ahead of their special half marathon race in Vienna

'It will be unique, but in the end it is a competition. I am a bit worried though, because I have no information about Paula's shape,' said twice Olympic 10,000 metres champion Gebrselassie.

The event, run as part of the Vienna City Marathon, will be Radcliffe's first race of 2012. She has already been selected for the marathon at the London Olympics after beating the qualifying time when finishing third in Berlin last year.

Home hero: Radcliffe has already been selected for the marathon at the London Olympics

Home hero: Radcliffe has already been selected for the marathon at the London Olympics

'I had a difficult past two weeks because of a bronchitis. There were times when I thought I would not be able to come to Vienna,' she said.

'Because of this I am not sure what I can run on Sunday.

'I hope to be able to produce a good solid run and I would be happy with a time of sub 70 minutes. I hope it does not come to a sprint in the final 100 metres – in this case I know on who my money would be,' Radcliffe added.