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Kenenisa Bekele made a prophetic remark about perfect conditions, which Ingebrigtsen fulfilled by shattering Komen's long-standing 3000m record in Poland.
Sometimes history has a humorous way of reminding us of its giants just as their records fall.
This Sunday, as the athletic world watched Jakob Ingebrigtsen shatter a record many thought unbreakable, we were nudged to remember the original owner of the 'Mount Everest' of athletics—Daniel Komen.
For 28 long years, Komen's astonishing 7:20.67 in the 3000 meters stood as a testament to human endurance and sheer will.
Dubbed the 'Mount Everest,' it was a peak that seemed destined to loom large over the landscape of athletics indefinitely.
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18:00 - 25.08.2024
Jakob Ingebrigtsen breaks Daniel Komen’s 3000m World Record in Silesia
Norwegian making up for flopping in 1500m at Paris Olympic.
Kenenisa Bekele once quipped that conquering such heights was "possible on a special day if the pace is good and if everything else also is perfect."
Indeed, the conditions in Poland this past weekend must have aligned just so allowing Ingebrigtsen a sprint into history.
However, as we herald the dawn of a new era, it is crucial to cast a glance back at the man who set the bar so high.
Between 1995 and 1997, Daniel Komen was not just a runner; he was a force of nature.
Komen, a man who never knew the metallic taste of Olympic gold, had his Olympic trials of sorts—battling and besting not just competitors, but the clock itself.
With a fierce glare that could "tame those who refused to yield," his eyes were often the last thing his competitors saw before a green and yellow blur sprinted towards the finish line.
His prowess was not just in his legs but in his indomitable spirit.
One of his most memorable races was the star-studded 5000 meters at Weltklasse Zürich in 1996.
Here, against giants like Haile Gebrselassie and Paul Tergat, Komen was not just running; he was orchestrating a symphony of speed.
The crescendo came in the last 200 meters, where he launched an assault so fierce that Gebrselassie—fresh off an Olympic gold—could only concede defeat with a resigned shout in Amharic.
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17:23 - 25.08.2024
Karsten Warholm strikes meeting record to claim 400m hurdles victory in Silesia
The Norwegian star was no fluke as he shattered the meeting record to win the men's 400m Hurdles at the Diamond League Meeting in Silesia.
Today, while the record books will update with a new name and a new time, the stories of Komen's dominance will persist, shared in hushed tones of reverence and perhaps a chuckle over a pint.
His era may have been brief, a comet streaking across the sky of track and field, but it burned so very brightly.
Indeed, as we look at Ingebrigtsen's achievement, it is not just a triumph but a continuation of a legacy—the kind that athletes like Komen crafted with their sweat and unmatched zeal.
In a fitting tribute, a prominent American sports journalist recently named his puppy 'Komen,' perhaps hoping that the dog would exhibit a fraction of the runner's unstoppable energy.
The sun rises on this new chapter in athletics, inviting us to chuckle at the audacity of those who chase 'Mount Everest.' After all, every special day starts with a daunting challenge and ends with a story worth telling.
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