Kenenisa Bekele became the first athlete to win world titles on three surfaces (outdoors, indoors and cross-country) when he took the men's 3,000 meters crown at the Moscow World Indoor Championships on Sunday. A day earlier, Olympic 5,000 meters gold medalist Meseret Defar successfully retained her 3,000 meters title. In tribute to these great Ethiopian athletes, I'll be running the Los Angeles Marathon this weekend...In my dreams!...The 3,000 was one of the most anticipated events of the three-day meet, pitting Bekele against world steeplechase champion Saif Saaeed Shaheen of Qatar (formerly of Kenya) and Eliud Kipchoge of Kenya, a former 5,000 outdoor world champion.
Bekele's patented finish left his challengers no chance, however, and he won in 7 minutes, 39.32 seconds. Shaheen was 1.96 seconds behind. Kipchoge was third.
Bekele Wins 3,000 at World Indoor Meet (Washington Post) March 12, 2006
