Haile - A Sporting Legend

[Orior]

I would put Haile up there with Federa and Woods. Aged 34 years, 2:04:55 for the marathon is incredible. He is superb.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/athletics/7020531.stm

[Cloc Mor]

Unreal athlete - and always smiling.  Legend

[gallsman]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/athletics/9167261.stm

Surprised there's been no mention of the great man retiring. One of my favourite ever sporting icons - a true legend.

[mc_grens]

Legendary. Up there with Carl Lewis, Michael Johnson et al. In fact, possibly even better than them.

[imtommygunn]

It's a real shame to see him go out the way he has done. It almost seems like a knee jerk reaction to yesterday.

To be a world record holder at 5,000 and then the marathon is some achievement. To have the faster twitch fibres for the 5,000 and to have the endurance to even compete in marathons is something almost unheard of.

He has to go down as one of the great athletes.

Like Cram says in the article the world record is something which can / probably will be beaten shortly so a pity he didn't crack it even further.

[gallsman]

It's a real shame to see him go out the way he has done. It almost seems like a knee jerk reaction to yesterday.

To be a world record holder at 5,000 and then the marathon is some achievement. To have the faster twitch fibres for the 5,000 and to have the endurance to even compete in marathons is something almost unheard of.

He has to go down as one of the great athletes.

Like Cram says in the article the world record is something which can / probably will be beaten shortly so a pity he didn't crack it even further.

I wonder what the odds are on Bekele to break two hours in the next 6/7 years.

I dunno, Bekele has virtually eclipsed everything Gebreselassie did (although he perhaps lost his career defining race in the 5,000 against El Guerrouj in 2004 whereas Gebreselassie won his in 2000 against Tergat) but there's just something about Haile that I admire so much more.

[RedandGreenSniper]

An incredible athlete. He was one of the long distance runners I could watch over and over again.

[Orior]

Men who can run marathons under 2 hours.
Men who can run 100m under 9 seconds.

Where will it all end?

[Orior]

There was a film made of Haile's life story - worth watching again if they ever show it on telly.

[gallsman]

I doubt if it will be as long as 6 or 7 years before Bekele takes the sub 2-hour marathon. Unreal runner. I think Bekele is a better runner but because of the amount of records Gebreselasssie broke people will consider him to be the best. Its a harder task for Bekele now.

The only reason I'm thinking that far ahead is because I reckon Bekele's track career has a long way to go before it's over. He's 28 and still utterly dominant.

[screenexile]

I will be sad to see Haillie go he was a fantastic athlete and his achievements throughout his career are amazing.

What always struck me though is that a guy like this who has had no controversy throughout his career given his fantastic achievements compared to Lance Armstrong. Personally I think the 2 of them are greats and are examples to be followed for any young athlete but maybe the fact Hailie steers away from the Limelight works in his favour rather than Armstrong.

[imtommygunn]

I think the jury is still out in Bekele. There's a couple of boys - I don't know names but they're Kenyans - who wiped the floor with him in the world XC last year. Don't get me wrong that's a one off race I know however sometimes these things make you wonder about character.

It's still an unknown if he can transfer the shorter distance form to marathons. Time will tell I suppose.

Both fantastic athletes. Haille has a great rep for the man he is as well as the athlete which will always lead him to be held in very high esteem.

2 hours dead would be  a bit off yet as would a 9 second 100m...

[nrico2006]

One of my favourite sportsmen, unbelievable that he was able to win Gold medals in major Championships from the 1500 to the Marathon.

[gallsman]

Didn't last long 

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/athletics/9190495.stm