ATHLETICS: Ethiopian Kenenisa Bekele broke the world men's 5,000 metres record yesterday when he clocked 12 minutes 37.35 seconds at an international meeting in Hengelo, Netherlands.
The previous mark of 12:39.36 was set by fellow Ethiopian Haile Gebrselassie in Helsinki on June 13th, 1998. Trailing Bekele in second place was compatriot Mulugeta Wendimu, in a time of 13:01.28, with Kenya's Hillary Chenonge third in 13:08.77.
"It was very difficult," Bekele said. "The pace was a little slow (at the beginning)."
He took the lead in the fourth lap and then pulled away from the pack in the seventh.
Bekele, the world 10,000 metres champion, beat Gebrselassie over that distance at last August's World Championships in Paris.
Ireland's Derval O'Rourke finished sixth in the 100 metres hurdles in 13.42 seconds - the race was won by Jamaican Delloreen Ennis-london in 12.81. Una English did not finish in the 5,000 metres.
HOCKEY: After Church of Ireland's relegation to the C division of European hockey on Sunday the club game in Ireland could have done with a lift yesterday when Hermes played Russian side Volga Telecom for a place in next season's A division, reports Mary Hannigan.
Alas, the outcome was bitterly disappointing for the Irish league champions as Volga won the game with a hotly disputed last-minute penalty corner.
Hermes had gone in 2-1 up at half-time, with Jenny Burke and Dawn Kelly scoring either side of a Russian equaliser, but the sides were level again midway through the second half before Hermes conceded that controversial late goal.
Royal Antwerp's Irish trio of Stephen Butler, Graham Shaw and Joe Brennan helped them maintain their A division status in the European Club Championships in a 4-2 win over Vienna in Barcelona yesterday - Butler scored a hat-trick with Shaw adding a fourth.
ATHLETICS: the Irish Milers Club will this Thursday host an evening with Roger Bannister, to be staged at Dublin's Citywest Hotel at 8 p.m. reports Ian O'Riordan.
Bannister has only been present at limited events surrounding the 50th anniversary of his four-minute mile and the open interview promises a memorable evening.
Though open to the public, advance booking is necessary, and further details can be obtained from the Irish Milers Club secretary Brendan Hackett (bhackett@iol.ie or 087 2445205).
Bannister will also be present as the guest of honour at the Irish schools championships, set for Tullamore on Saturday. The Irish Milers Club will also stage a senior mile race in an effort to run the first four-minute mile on the Tullamore track, which by pure coincidence is also 50 years old.
