Kenenisa Bekele of Ethiopia runs to win the men's 10,000m final of the athletics competition in the National Stadium at the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games August 17, 2008.  [Agencies]

BEIJING - Defending champion Ethiopia's Kenenisa Bekele retained his Olympic title in the African-dominated men's 10,000 meters race at the Beijing Olympic Games on Sunday.

Bekele, the reigning world record holder, finished in 27 minutes and 1.17 seconds to refresh the Olympic record created by himself at the Athens Games four years ago.

The 26-year-old distance runner has become the sixth who has won back-to-back Olympic titles in the men's longest track race with a best result of 26 minutes and 25.97 seconds this season.

Kenenisa Bekele of Ethiopia celebrates winning the men's 10,000m final of the athletics competition in the National Stadium at the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games August 17, 2008. Sileshi Sihine (R) of Ethiopia finished second. [Agencies]

 

As also a three-time world champion in the event, Bekele has been one of the favorites including his countryman former world record holder Haile Gebrselassie who has run 26 minutes and 51.20 seconds this year.

Bekele's countryman Sileshi Sihine won the silver medal by running 27 minutes and 2.77 seconds. Sihine outpaced Kenya's Micah Kogo at the last lap who won the bronze medal.

Kogo and another Kenyan runner Moses Ndiema Masai, who finally ranked the fourth,  had led the race for most of the time and just stayed on the Ethiopians' heels.

The 35-year-old Gebrselassie ran 27 minutes and 6.68 seconds to achieve the sixth place.