No último do domingo (01/03), o queniano Paul Tergat participou pela primeira de uma Maratona no Japão (na cidade de Otsu) e já faturou o seu primeiro título de 2009.

Como sempre, Paul Tergat ultrapassou no final da prova (1.300 metros finais) e chegou na frente do espanhol, Jose Rios, com o tempo de 2h10m22s (14s antes do espanhol), mostrando que em 2009 vai continuar sua carreira vitoriosa.

foto: Reuters / Blog do Rodolfo Lucena

Paul Tergat tem no seu currículo, nada mais nada menos, que as seguintes marcas:

• Pentacampeão Mundial de Cross Coutry (95 a 99);
• Cinco títulos da São Silvestre (95, 96, 98, 99 e 2000);
• Campeão da Maratona de Berlim, em 2003, com direito a recorde mundial (2h04min55s);
• Campeão da Maratona de Nova York (2005);
• Duas medalhas de Prata, nos 10.000 metros Olímpicos;

Seu grande rival é o etíope Haile Gebreselassie. Ao longo dos anos, travaram grandes duelos, ficando marcada a final dos 10.000 metros das Olimpíadas de Sidney (2000).

Qual será a próxima marca???

Hoje, na Maratona de Berlim, tivemos a quebra de mais um recorde mundial…

A fera responsável por esse feito, foi o etíope Haile Gebreselassie que conseguiu a marca de 2h03min59s…

Haile Gebrselasie... 2h03min59s!!!

Histórico dos Recordes

1981 – 2h08min13s – Alberto Salazar (EUA)
1984 – 2h08min05s – Steve Jones (GBR)
1985 – 2h07min12s – Carlos Lopes (POR)
1988 – 2h06min50s – Belayneh Dinsamo (ETI)
1998 – 2h06min05s – Ronaldo da Costa (BRA)
1999 – 2h05min42s – Khalid Khannouchi (MAR)
2002 – 2h05min38s – Khalid Khannouchi (EUA)
2003 – 2h04min55s – Paul Tergat (QUE)
2007 – 2h04min26s – Haile Gebreselassie (ETI)
2008 – 2h03min59s – Haile Gebreselassie (ETI)

Euro2008 football qualifier between Finland and Poland is about to start. Taken with a cell phone camera. The roof is the latest addition to the Olympic Stadium.

Here are some of my memories from the events that I have watched at the stadium.

Finland’s Worst Sports Moment Ever

In 1997 Finland needed a win against Hungary in order to have a very good chance to qualify for the first time in history to football’s World Cup. I’ve never been outdoors in such a terrible rain but nobody cared as Finland had a 1-0 lead when 90 minutes was played. Hungary gave a poor corner and FIVE Finnish players made unsuccessful tries to clear the ball. Hungarians really didn’t do anything but still the ball found its way into our goal. One of the best moments of Finnish football turned into anger and disappointment in the ugliest possible way. Readers of Helsingin Sanomat newspaper voted that pinball goal as the worst sports moment of all times.

HJK Plays Excellent Champions League Football

I went to see HJK Helsinki’s champions league qualifier against a French side Metz in 1998. Normally a Finnish club wouldn’t have a chance against a good team from a country that has just won the World Cup. But HJK did the impossible and qualified. When the champions league hymn was played before a match against a Portugese side Benfica, I couldn’t believe I was in Helsinki. It was totally unreal when HJK won the game! I’m still angry at myself for not going to see the 0-0 match against Kaiserslautern. HJK had the chances to win that one as well. Unfortunately in the last home match against PSV Eindhoven I witnessed a hat trick by a promising young striker called Ruud van Nistelrooy.

Athletics

One of the craziest things I’ve ever seen was when Haile Gebreselassie made a new world record in 5000 meters. A normal young fit person could have followed him only for a few meters (I’m not kidding!) and he ran for 5 kilometers! It looks a lot slower on tv.

There was also once a giant guy who from a distance seemed to be too clumsy for his sport. We made jokes about that with my friend. When it was his turn, a name appeared on the screen – Sergei Bubka. The pole vaulter is one of the best athletes of all times.

Unfortunately in many events music seems to be more important than the actual event. The louder the better. Once in an athletics competition people from the audience had to move loudspeakers because it was impossible to sit on their seats because of the noise. I sat several rows from them and my ears were also hurting.

See other posts in the Helsinki Olympics Today serie.

Endowed with long legs and slender thighs

Oromos run and win on every ground that lies

Be it track or Cross Country

It’s well known ours is victory

We run very long, long distance

And we have in our blood all the endurance

We have never run out of patience

Though long it may seem, we’re gonna be winners

Just like we run and win all over the world in athletics

we should run the government in Ethiopian politics

while others are running their mouth

our heroes are taking the golden prize

The “Green Flood” on the finish line

when a bright day and our blood combine

Abebe Bikila with his barefoot

Won in Rome over those with boot

Beating Italy on the world stage for the second time

First at home and then in Rome Abe being a mime

Raised the flag high up in the sky

Reintroduced Ethiopia for the world eye

A coveted award by Jah Emperor Rastafaria

Abe was given the “Star of Ethiopia”

In his footsteps came Fatuma Robaa

Preceded by Derartu followed by daughters of Dibaba

“Our Lady of Boston” they call her so lovingly

The first African woman to win Olympic marathon exceedingly

Haile Gebreselassie smashing over 25 records

Qenenisa Bekele taking all the honors

We also have winners like Meseret Defar

Let me remind you, Oromos can win in every war

“Since we’re surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses

Let us throw everything that hinders

and the sin that so easily entangles

And let us run with perseverance

The race marked out for us”

Let’s run for Oromia

Nation of champions our biyya Tiyya!

Let’s fight the good fight

It might take many years or just a fortnight.

“Don’t ask me how I am. It’s very special, spectacular.”

That’s what Haile Gebreselassie said after breaking the marathon world record last Sunday in Berlin.

As most of you know by now, Haile clocked in at 2 hours, 4 minutes, 26 seconds. He broke Paul Tergat’s 4 year old record of 2:04:55 by 29 seconds.

This was Haile’s 25th world record! Congratulations brother (in running, I mean!)