One of the greats of cross-country and long-distance running, Kenya’s Paul Tergat finished second to Ethiopia’s Haile Gebrselassie in the 10,000m at Atlanta 1996 and Sydney 2000, where the pair fought out a memorable duel. In the latest interview for our Words of Olympians series, Tergat recalls the scintillating sprint finish in Sydney.

In one of the greatest 10,000m races in Olympic history, Haile Gebrselassie wins gold by a fingertip, defending his Olympic title from Atlanta. With a few meters to go, Gebrselassie powers to the finish line surpassing Paul Tergat in the last seconds of the race, winning by just 0.09 seconds. With this win, Gebrselassie becomes the 3rd person to defend a 10,000m title. Athletics 10000m Men's Final - Sydney 2000 Summer Olympics - Haile Gebrselassie (ETH), Paul Tergat (KEN), Assefa Mezgebu (ETH)