Bekele rewarded after warm reception

The weather finally turned good for Kenenisa Bekele and the Ethiopian responded by breaking his 10,000 metres world record last week in Belgium.

The world and Olympic champion, aided by his younger brother Tariku, clocked 26 minutes 17.53 seconds at the Brussels Golden League meeting.

Bekele planned to better the record in Hengelo, Netherlands in May but cold temperatures and gusting winds put paid to his attempt, even though the 23-year-old clocked 26:28.72 for the then fourth fastest time in history.

He retained his world title in Helsinki on a track soaked by heavy rain before having to run through a downpour on his way to a 3,000 victory in Zurich earlier this month.

"The conditions were perfect and I was happy with my preparation," Bekele told reporters.

"In Helsinki the conditions were not as good as today and more important was that my brother was with me and laid the foundation for the win."

The record capped a remarkable season which began in personal tragedy.

Bekele's teenage fiancee Alem Techale collapsed and died while the pair were on a training run in January. They had been due to marry in May.

"This year started sadly with the death of my fiancee and this doesn't bring her back," said the quietly spoken Bekele.

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

Bekele found running helped with his grief and 10 weeks after Alem's death he secured an unprecedented fourth consecutive double at the world cross country championships in the long and short course races.

No other man has even done it once.

After finishing second to Kenyan Enock Koech in the short course race at the 2001 world cross country, Bekele burst on to the international scene a year later by winning the double at the event, aged 19.

He was acclaimed as the man to take over compatriot and training partner Haile Gebrselassie's mantle as the world's top distance runner.

The succession was completed in 2003 when Bekele denied Gebrselassie a fifth world 10,000 title on his debut in a major track final.

"I am Haile's successor... it is a wonderful feeling and my victory is also for him," Bekele said at the time.

The slim, light-footed athlete then proceeded to write his mentor out of the record books, setting the world's best marks in the 5,000 and 10,000 in the space of nine days in 2004.

The Olympic 10,000 gold followed in Athens but Bekele failed in his bid to double up in the 5,000, finishing second to Hicham El Guerrouj.

He refused to attempt the feat in Helsinki this month saying his preparation had been disrupted.

But having already achieved so much at such a young age, time is on Bekele's side.