Tulu destroys 10,000m field with late burst

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Sydney: Derartu Tulu produced a devastating burst on the last lap to win a superb women's 10,000 metres final in Olympic record time on Saturday.

The 1992 champion had been content to sit in a pack of five dragged round by Briton Paula Ratcliffe until the bell but then she blasted clear.

Wami, the world champion and silver medallist in Atlanta four years ago, was second in 30:22.48 with defending Olympic champion Fernanda Ribeiro of Portugal third in 30:22.88.

Ratcliffe finished fourth before collapsing exhausted on to the track. It was only the fourth time the event had been run in the Olympics but had the strongest field, including a clutch of Olympic and world medallists.

Ratcliffe knew the only way she could win it was to grind out a painfully fast pace from the gun. That is exactly what she did, repeating her 1999 world championship efforts which had split the field and earned her a silver medal behind Wami.

After three kilometres the pace proved too hot for most of the field but Tulu, Wami, Kenyan Tegla Loroupe and Ribeiro stayed with Ratcliffe.

Wolde wins 5,000 in African sweep

Ethiopian Millon Wolde took gold as Africa gave the rest of the world six of the best in the men's 5,000 metres at the Sydney Games on Saturday.

The 21-year-old Wolde hung behind Algerian Ali Saidi-Sief entering the last lap before surging past to win in 13 minutes 35.49 seconds after a slow tactical race. Bronze went to Brhim Lahlafi of Morocco.

The first six runners home came from Africa. Africa also won all the medals - and took the top six places - in the 10,000 metres on Monday, when Haile Gebrselassie of Ethiopia won the gold.



(c) Reuters Limited.