Odds favours Tergat as the legend wins bet against Haile Gebrselassie
NAIROBI, Kenya, May 3 – In what was a light banter, Kenyan athletics legend Paul Tergat won a bet against his old friend Haile Gebrselassie that will see the Ethiopian great visit Kenya, following Hellen Obiri’s victory at the Doha IAAF Diamond League on Friday night.
The two close mates placed a bet on Friday evening in Addis Ababa, while sharing a meal with Tergat going for his country mate Obiri to win the women’s 3000m Doha meet while Haile went for compatriot Genzebe Dibaba to beat the World Cross Country champion.
The deal was that if Obiri wins, then Haile will fly with Tergat to Kenya while if the 5000m world champion loses to Genzebe then Tergat who was set to depart tonight to Nairobi, stays one more night in Addis Ababa.
“Today Genzebe is going to win the Diamond League 3000m, Obiri will be number two, if Obiri wins I will tonight fly with him (Tergat) to Kenya if Genzebe wins he (Tergat) stays one more night because his flight is tomorrow,” Haile placed his sure bet.
On his part, Tergat said… “I want to say this… these are my friends, Obiri is going to win the 3000m tonight so we are waiting for it, if he loses no problem tomorrow is Saturday, I can relax…”
Kenyan athletics legend Paul Tergat won a bet against his old friend Haile Gebrselassie! #DohaDL
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— Capital Sport (@CapitalFMSport) May 3, 2019
At the end of the eagerly awaited race, it was Obiri who shone to hand his compatriot Tergat a bet win by not only condemning Genzebe to second but storm to a World Lead time of 8:25.60.
Genzebe settled for second in a Personal Best of 8:26.20.
Tergat and Haile were rivals in their competing days and although both men have held the world record in the 10,000 meters, as well as the half and full marathons at one point in their careers, the most salient thing about this rivalry is that, in one sense, it wasn’t really a rivalry at all.
Tergat’s medal tally in major track competitions (all in the 10,000m) amounted to two Olympic silvers (’96, ’00), two world championship silvers (’97, ’99) and one world championship bronze (’95).
Nevertheless, that final sprint down the home straight at the Sydney games remains the best finish of any distance race ever as Haile won by nine hundredths of a second.
