Sydney 2000 Moment | Rivalry on the track – Gebrselassie vs Tergat

Описание: Revisit the unforgettable moments from the Sydney 2000 Olympics and Paralympics, as we celebrate the 25th anniversary of the Games. We look back at one of the biggest rivalries on the athletics track – Haile Gebrselassie and Paul Tergat – that accumulated in the men’s 10,000m final at Stadium Australia.

It’s rare to find two athletes who have dominated an event – like the 10,000m – for as long as Paul Tergat and Haile Gebrselassie did. But as Sydney 2000 approached, the rivalry was set to come to an end.

On Magic Monday, a packed stadium was coming off the high of watching Cathy Freeman’s golden run, but little did they know, they were about to witness one of the closest finals.

Before the final back-straight, 250m from home, Tergat decided to make his move – a blistering final kick, pulling out from the pack and sprinting away. Gebreselassie’s finishing speed had been a decisive factor in his career to date, so he was soon on Tergat’s tail. Gebrselassie crossed the line to become the third man in history to successfully defend an Olympic 10,000m title and had beaten Tergat by a margin of 0.09 seconds – a time narrower than the men’s 100m final at the same Games (0.12).

After crossing the finish line, the pair shared a brief embrace, but it would be the last time they would ever meet on a track.

Read more: https://www.olympics.com/en/brisbane-...