1997 World Championships in Athletics – Men's 10,000 metres

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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.

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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.

Final

RANKFINALTIME
Med 1.png Flag of Ethiopia (1996-2009).svg  Haile Gebrselassie  (ETH)27:24.58
Med 2.png Flag of Kenya.svg  Paul Tergat  (KEN)27:25.62
Med 3.png Flag of Morocco.svg  Salah Hissou  (MAR)27:28.67
4.Flag of Kenya.svg  Paul Koech  (KEN)27:30.39
5.Flag of Ethiopia (1996-2009).svg  Assefa Mezgebu  (ETH)27:32.48
6.Flag of Portugal (official).svg  Domingos Castro  (POR)27:36.52
7.Flag of Ethiopia (1996-2009).svg  Habte Jifar  (ETH)28:00.29
8.Flag of Spain.svg  Julio Rey  (ESP)28:07.06
9.Flag of Italy.svg  Stefano Baldini  (ITA)28:11.97
10.Flag of Australia (converted).svg  Darren Wilson  (AUS)28:20.16
11.Flag of the Netherlands.svg  Kamiel Maase  (NED)28:23.30
12.Flag of Kenya.svg  Dominic Kirui  (KEN)28:28.13
13.Flag of Morocco.svg  Abderrahim Zitouna  (MAR)28:29.09
14.Flag of South Africa.svg  Hendrick Ramaala  (RSA)28:33.48
15.Flag of Zimbabwe.svg  Tendai Chimusasa  (ZIM)28:55.29
16.Flag of Germany.svg  Carsten Eich  (GER)28:59.34
17.Flag of Morocco.svg  Said Berioui  (MAR)29:22.05
18.Flag of Portugal (official).svg  José Ramos  (POR)29:49.00
Flag of Japan.svg  Toshinari Takaoka  (JPN)DNS
Flag of Belgium (civil).svg  Mohammed Mourhit  (BEL)DNS

Qualifying heats


RANKHEAT 1TIME
1.Flag of Portugal (official).svg  Domingos Castro  (POR)28:07.04
2.Flag of Belgium (civil).svg  Mohammed Mourhit  (BEL)28:12.02
3.Flag of Morocco.svg  Said Berioui  (MAR)28:12.33
4.Flag of Germany.svg  Carsten Eich  (GER)28:12.46
5.Flag of Kenya.svg  Paul Koech  (KEN)28:13.24
6.Flag of Ethiopia (1996-2009).svg  Assefa Mezgebu  (ETH)28:13.95
7.Flag of Kenya.svg  Paul Tergat  (KEN)28:13.98
8.Flag of Morocco.svg  Salah Hissou  (MAR)28:15.09
9.Flag of Portugal (official).svg  José Ramos  (POR)28:20.06
10.Flag of Spain.svg  Carlos de la Torre  (ESP)28:20.50
11.Flag of Japan.svg  Toshiyuki Hayata  (JPN)28:27.97
12.Flag of the United States.svg  Dan Middleman  (USA)28:56.76
13.Flag of Bolivia.svg  Marco Condori  (BOL)29:51.24
14.Flag of Panama.svg  Agustin Moran  (PAN)30:12.32


RANKHEAT 2TIME
1.Flag of Ethiopia (1996-2009).svg  Haile Gebrselassie  (ETH)27:55.36
2.Flag of Ethiopia (1996-2009).svg  Habte Jifar  (ETH)27:55.71
3.Flag of Kenya.svg  Dominic Kirui  (KEN)27:56.62
4.Flag of Morocco.svg  Abderrahim Zitouna  (MAR)27:57.11
5.Flag of Australia (converted).svg  Darren Wilson  (AUS)27:57.54
6.Flag of the Netherlands.svg  Kamiel Maase  (NED)27:57.78
7.Flag of Spain.svg  Julio Rey  (ESP)28:03.36
8.Flag of South Africa.svg  Hendrick Ramaala  (RSA)28:05.70
9.Flag of Japan.svg  Toshinari Takaoka  (JPN)28:07.36
10.Flag of Italy.svg  Stefano Baldini  (ITA)28:07.81
11.Flag of Zimbabwe.svg  Tendai Chimusasa  (ZIM)28:14.03
12.Flag of France.svg  Mohamed Ezzher  (FRA)28:47.48
13.Flag of Angola.svg  João N'Tyamba  (ANG)29:38.92
14.Flag of the United States.svg  Brad Barquist  (USA)29:43.01
15.Flag of Mexico.svg  Margarito Zamora  (MEX)29:52.03
16.Flag of Greece.svg  Panagiotis Charamis  (GRE)30:08.60
17.Flag of French Polynesia.svg  Georges Richmond  (TAH)31:48.17
Flag of Portugal (official).svg  Carlos Patrício  (POR)DNF
Flag of Hungary.svg  Zoltán Káldy  (HUN)DNF

See also

References