Bekele sets new Olympics 10,000m mark to take gold

Ethiopia's reigning Olympic champion Kenenisa Bekele retained his Olympic 10,000m title, his second Olympic gold medal, after outruning a quality field in 27 minutes and 1.17 seconds - a new Olympic record at the Beijing's Bird Nest stadium.

Compatriot and perenial silver medallist Sileshi Sihine took silver again in 27:02.77 while Micah Kogo of Kenya secured bronze in 27:04.11, but Ethiopian veteran Haile Gebrselassie could only finish sixth, ending his dream of a third Olympic gold medal.

Bekele sliced almost four seconds off the Olympic record he set at the Athens 2004 Olympic Games, finishing in 27:01.17. The quality of the field was so high that the first four finishers all beat the old Olympic record of 27:05.10.

Afterwards, Bekele told the media: "It's was a very big goal for me to win this title - my dreams have come true to win tonight.

"The race was fantastic, there was no pacemaker and everyone was pushing. No-one could push any harder."

"It is a big gift. I will now try to run the 5,000 metres. It is not easy to run the two events. It will be a strong race," he added

Bekele is the sixth man to have won back-to-back Olympic titles in the Men's 10000m.