24 Aug 2009

Bekele makes history in final day in Berlin

2:38 pm on 24 August 2009

The Ethiopian distance runner Kenenesa Bekele has made history as the first man to win the 5,000-10,000 metres double at a world athletics championship.

On the final day in Berlin, 27-year-old Bekele duplicated his Olympic success by winning the 5,000 metres, beating the defending champion Bernard Lagat of the United States.

There was a sensation in the womens 1500 metres final when the Spaniard Natalia Rodriguez was disqualified after crossing the line first.

The 20-year-old was adjudged to have pushed an Ethiopian rival down the back straight, sending her crashing to the ground.

The Spanish team decided not to protest after watching a video replay.

Rodriguez' disqualification handed the gold to Bahrain's defending champion Maryam Jamal.