Beijing Olympic Games 2008

Kenyan-born American Bernard Lagat hopes to repeat his world championship 1,500-5,000 double at the Beijing Olympics this year.

Lagat, 33, became the first man to complete the world double in Osaka, Japan, last year and now wants to emulate Moroccan Hicham El Guerrouj, who won both events at the 2004 Athens Games.
“It is do-able,” Lagat told a news conference in Glasgow on Thursday. “If I keep the same mental focus I will be able to do both. After the first round of the 5,000 it hurt. After I did the 1,500 I was feeling fresh but then when I went to my first race in the 5,000 I realised I was tired. Thankfully, we had two days off.”
Lagat, who won silver in the 1,500 in Athens 0.12 of a second behind El Guerrouj, is competing in an international indoor meeting in the Scottish city on Saturday.
He said he did not plan to run at the world indoor championships in Valencia, Spain, in March. “I thought about doing the world indoors but decided not to do it because I want to concentrate on good training for the Olympics,” he said.
“I have to qualify in both so I will continue in my season for now and then around July or August I can make my decision. I do not have to make my decision now.
“When I ran the 1,500 and 5,000 in Osaka (Japan) it gave me a different look on how things are. It is not easy doing the double. “People may have thought that ‘it seems like he is winning so easy’ but the burn was hurting on the third day of competition.
“It is also a great challenge that I have come through and have to keep trying it again. Hopefully, I will not be tired.”

from: chinadaily.com.cn