Out of the Blocks

Emerging star Kenenisa Bekele, 21, led Ethiopia to a medal sweep
in the men's 10,000 meters, outsprinting legendary teammate Haile
Gebrselassie, the Olympic and world champ, who finished second.
Kenyans failed to win a medal in the race for the first time
since the 1983 Worlds.... Lima Azimi, 23, became the first Afghan
woman to compete in a major international championship, finishing
last in her heat of the 100 in 18.37 seconds. Azimi wore blue
sweatpants and a plain gray T-shirt, forgoing the even more
stringent dress code she has adhered to as a Muslim. "This is the
first time I've been outdoors with nothing on my arms and my hair
uncovered," she said. "I'm not allowed to wear shorts, and I
don't want to." The IOC suspended the Afghanistan Olympic
Committee in 1999 but reinstated it early this year.... Swedish
heptathlete Carolina Kluft, 20, became the third woman to break
the 7,000-point barrier, turning in six personal bests in seven
events to win the world title with 7,001 points.

--B.C.