Bekele to attempt 10,000m record

Olympic and world champion Kenenisa Bekele will attempt to break his own world 10,000 metres at the Brussels Golden League meeting on August 26.

The 23-year-old Ethiopian retained the world title on Monday before announcing he would not attempt the 5,000-10,000 double.

"I will try the world record," he told reporters yesterday.

"In good weather conditions, it is a very good stadium."

Bekele set the world record of 26:20.31 in Ostrava, Czech Republic last year, nine days after he broke the world 5,000 metres record in Hengelo, the Netherlands, taking both records from his compatriot Haile Gebrselassie.

Bekele attacked the record again in Hengelo on May 31 but was thwarted by strong winds.

Bekele won the world championships 10,000 metres final in 27:08.33 in wet conditions on Monday ahead of his compatriot Sileshi Sihine.

Bekele took bronze in the 5,000 metres at the 2003 championships and silver at the Athens Olympics.

He was entered in the Helsinki 5,000 metres by the Ethiopian team but is not planning to run it.

"They wanted me to have the 5,000, but it's difficult for me to run the double at this time," Bekele said.

"It's difficult to run three races in five days because I'm tired after running 10,000 metres.

"Especially this year, because I've not prepared very well," added Bekele, whose fiancee Alem Techale died in January. "Mentally, I am not happy."

Bekele wears black and white intertwined bracelets on his left wrist that are used to represent racial harmony but he was not aware of the origin of the bracelets.

"I suppose it has many different interpretations, but for me, it signifies the intertwining of sorrow and joy in life," he said.

Bekele's brother Tariku is in Ethiopia's 5,000 metres team in Helsinki, along with Dejene Berhanu. Sihine, who was entered as the reserve team member, will likely take Bekele's place.

The Bekele brothers will run together in Brussels' Memorial van Damme meet, where Tariku will act as a pacemaker.

Kenya's Paul Tergat broke the world record in the same stadium in 1997.