Yomi Omogbeja (27/08/2005)

Ethiopian Kenenisa Bekele has finally shattered his world 10,000m record, after narrowly missing it in Hengelo last May, with a 26:17.53 clocking at the 29th Van Damme Memorial - IAAF/TDK Golden League meeting in Brussels.

Bekele shaved nearly three seconds from the 26:20.31 mark he established at the Golden Spike Super Grand Prix in Ostrava, Czech Republic last year with a record 57- seconds closing lap.

The 23-year-old Olympic and two-time World champion attributed his victory to the perfect conditions - the still but cool wind, his brother's heroics, the capacity crowd and the African drummers.

With his younger brother Tariku, 18, acting as pacemaker, Kenenisa was cheered on by the 47,000 capacity crowd at this IAAF meeting, as his brother led them through the first 5,000m in 13:09.19, five seconds ahead of his previous record's pace.

He became only the fourth athlete to break the record in Belgium, after Paul Tergat, Emile Zatopek and Salah Hissou.

'Perfect' race

Kenenisa Bekele told reporters after the race: "The race was very fantastic. The weather and the pace were both perfect, so I was able to break the World record.

" Today my brother Tariku did a very good job, he was with me up to 5000m, and it is not easy to run in the front for such a long time. He did everything very good. Today, everything was perfect.

"The crowd really got behind me and they were part of this victory."

France's Hassan El Lahssini was second in a European record of 26:39.77, while Kenyan Samuel Wanjiru was third in a world junior record time of 26:51.87.

Joy and grief

Despite his numerous victories this year, Bekele still feel a lot of grief knowing he has no one to share the joyful times with, after his fiancee collapsed and died while training with him in January.

Bekele said: "I am not happy in my life and still very sad."

"This year it started sadly with the death of my fiancee and this doesn't bring her back.

"But you have to get on with my life and that's what I have done. That's all you can do."

Tariku was overjoyed to be part of history and with his brother's achievement.

"It's incredible what happened tonight," he said.

"My brother was really tremendous and I helped him break the world record.

"I gave everything as I ran through 5,000m. After the race he was so happy and I was so happy that we didn't find the right words. We didn't need to."

Kenyan Daniel Komen Kipchirchir won the 1,500m in 3:31.13 ahead of Bahrain's double World (800m and 1,500m) champion Rashid Ramzi (3:32.81).

Kenyan Eliud Kipchoge took the 5,000m in a season's best 12:50.22 with countryman Benjamin Limo third in a season's best 12:55.26.

Moroccan Abderrahim Goumri was placed second in a personal best 12:50.25.

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