BEIJING (AP) — Tirunesh Dibaba of Ethiopia has won the 5,000 meters to complete an unprecedented women’s Olympic distance double.

Watch video here.

Tirunesh, the world record-holder, won the 5,000-meter race in 15 minutes, 41.40 seconds on Friday night. It’s her second gold of the Beijing Games after her triumph in the 10,000.

The 23-year-old Tirunesh also won the 5,000-10,000 combination at the 2005 world championships but only chose to defend the 10,000 in Osaka last year.

Elvan Abeylegesse of Turkey won the silver. She also finished second in the 10,000.

Ethiopian world champion Meseret Defar took bronze in the 5,000 in 15:44.12.

New York (Tadias) – Wow, what an event! On Wednesday (Aug. 20) evening, Damrosch’s Park was packed with Ethiopiques enthusiasts and curious New Yorkers who were treated to an astonishing concert of fusion rock, jazz and Ethiopian music.

Click here to listen: [podcast]http://www.ethiopianreview.info/audio/lincoln_center_new_york_aug_20_2008.mp3[/podcast]

The historic event at the Lincoln Center’s out of doors concert, one of the longest-running free summer festivals in the U.S, featured Mahmoud Ahmed and Alemayehu Eshete accompanied by the Either Orchestra, and the legendary saxophonist Getatchew Mekurya in collaboration with Dutch band the Ex.

View photos at Tadias.com

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Come and be entertained, inspired and support as we look back the 8th year of achievement and beyond.

By Catherine Bremer

BEIJING (Reuters) – Ethiopia’s Olympic champion distance runner Kenenisa Bekele has left his actress wife at home to avoid any distractions as he seeks double gold in Beijing.

Bekele, who generated one of the biggest roars yet in the Bird’s Nest after holding on to his 10,000 metre Olympic title, said at a race in Scotland earlier this year that having his wife of a few months watching was stressful.

In Beijing, where he is bidding for a second gold in the 5,000 metre race on Saturday, Bekele will be running with wife Danawit Gebregziabher’s name printed on his shoes but he left her behind in Ethiopia to watch the race on television.

“This competition is very tough. I should concentrate on the race,” Bekele told Reuters. “If she had come maybe she would have wanted to visit around. I would have had to give her time.

“I didn’t (need to) tell her,” he added. “She knows everything before I tell her. She can understand. I have to do my best and concentrate on the race.”

Bekele, who has eclipsed fellow Ethiopian Haile Gebrselassie to lead the field in long-distance and cross-country, said he was working on getting as much rest as possible between races.

He ran the first round of the 5,000 metres on Wednesday and has the final on Saturday, competing against America’s Bernard Lagat, less than a week after last Sunday’s 10,000 metre final. “It’s not easy after the 10,000 metres. It’s very tough. It’s too many races in one week. It will be tough, I think, the 5,000 metres,” Bekele said, after a meal of steak and pasta.

“I’m okay. I’m a little bit tired but I’ve recovered a bit. I still have two days more,” he said.

The small, slender Bekele would not name a vegetable, like Usain Bolt’s much-talked-about yam, as being behind Ethiopia’s string of world-class runners. Instead he put it down to the east African nation’s inspiring landscapes and all-natural diet.

“We are gifted from God,” he said, solemnly.

Kenyan-born Lagat also has some motivational decoration on his running shoes for Saturday — a picture of his toddler son, who he says is his biggest fan.

“My son has been the one that motivates me every time so I wanted to give him something to remember,” Lagat told Reuters. “He’ll always remember that Daddy really had him in mind running at the Olympics.”

Gétatchèw Mèkurya, The Ex, Mahmoud Ahmed, Alèmayèhu Eshèté & The Either/Orchestra played NYC

Photos by heartonastick

LINCOLN CENTER, NEW YORK — Well, we here at the station are still riding on the high of WFMU’s broadcast from Damrosch Park last night, really one spectacular show all around. Hope you all caught it either in person or on the air/netwaves. Perfect weather, fantastic, grooving crowd of five or six thousand, and a stellar night with the Ex, Getatchew, Mahmoud & company. Trent and I each put some sets up on Flickr more to follow on FMU’s page later I am sure. It’s been a summer to remember in terms of live music in NYC, that’s for sure. [WFMU]

Gétatchèw Mèkurya with The Ex @ Damrosch Park, Aug 20, 2008

More pics from last night’s show below…..