Bekele completes distance double

ATHLETICS WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS
Venue: Olympic Stadium, Berlin Date: 15-23 August

Bekele held off a charge from defending champion Lagat

Ethiopia's double Olympic champion Kenenisa Bekele added 5,000m gold to his 10,000m title, becoming the first man to do so at a World Championships.

Bekele held off a charge from defending champion Bernard Lagat of the USA, while Britain's Mo Farah was seventh.

"It's fantastic. I'm happy for myself and my country," he said.

Another double Olympic champ, Norwegian Andreas Thorkildsen, ended his wait from a world javelin title with a mark of 89.59 metres in the final.

And American Brittney Reese took the long jump title from defending champion Tatyana Lebedeva of Russia with a leap of 7.10m.

Earlier in the day, China's Xue Bai raced away from Yoshimi Ozaki of Japan to win the women's marathon in front of an estimated million spectators.

I thought I was going to have it but Bekele was stronger

Bernard Lagat

Bai, 20, won in a time of two hours, 25 minutes and 14 seconds, while Ethiopia's Aselefech Mergia was third over the course in central Berlin.

There was no British representative after Paula Radcliffe withdrew earlier this week, while Mara Yamauchi was also absent with a foot injury.

Bekele, who earlier this week won his fourth world 10,000m gold, was neck-and-neck in the final 100m with Kenyan-born Lagat, who took 1500m bronze on Wednesday, before a late surge.

Lagat added: "On the last 100 metres there were two guys who wanted to win. I thought I was going to have it but Bekele was stronger. I gave everything I had.

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"I lost my title but I'm very happy about what I have achieved."

Veteran Mbulaeni Mulaudzi of South Africa just held on for gold in the men's 800m, falling across the line ahead of defending champion Alfred Kirwa Yego in a thrilling finish.

"I've tried so many times to win a big championship but today I knew I needed to chance my tactics, control the race and set my own rhythm," he said.