Bekoji is a small and modest town perched on top of an Ethiopian plateau but when it comes to its Olympic Games record, it boasts more trophies than several developed nations. The entire town had gathered around four television screens set up in cafes to watch Tirunesh Dibaba win the 10,000 metres final in Beijing, confident that the town’s latest prodigy would add her name to a growing hall of fame.

“It didn’t come as a surprise, I never doubted her victory in the first place,” said Sintayehu Eshetu, a veteran coach who once trained Tirunesh in Bekoji as part of the town’s youth programme.

After calmly staying in silver medallist Elvan Abeylegesse’s slipstream for most of the race, Tirunesh switched on the turbo in the last lap and breezed to her first Olympic victory.

“There was enough competition nonetheless,” adds Sintayehu, proudly looking at his former protege posing for photographs on the cafe’s TV screen as locals chant and cheer.