Bekele the Not-so-Invincible?

[EPelle]

IAAF reports that K. Bekele suffering from a stress fracture in his bothersome ankle, to miss two months of training. World XC in danger, will miss all indoor running.

http://www.iaaf.org/news/kind=100/newsid=48440.html

[Marlow]

Re: Bekele the Not-so-Invincible?

IAAF reports that K. Bekele suffering from a stress fracture in his bothersome ankle, to miss two months of training. World XC in danger, will miss all indoor running.

I've come to view stress fractures as just God's little way of saying,"Hey, you've done lots of good running, so you've earned some time off. Relax, enjoy other activities, and come back fresh and enthused again."

[Figaro]

I happened to have watched Bekele in that 15km Seven Hills race and during that race I already had the impression that he made his injury quite a bit worse by continuing on and on. The seriousness of the stress fracture had already been established by the doctors before the race and they strongly advised him not to take part.

In the first part of the race he had already looked quite uncomfortable, but in the last 5km or so he really looked in agony and it was obvious that he was enduring a lot of pain, but he still kept on struggling on and on to finish the race. And then when I read this quote from the article:

Bekele was not even able to stand on his two feet and had to be carried from the finish line, with the help of his manager Jos Hermens, to seek urgent medical attention. He had been moving around his home in crutches for a week since his return and is still limping from the serious injury, unable to climb stairs or drive a car.

I really wonder why he didn't just step out of the race instead of making his injury so much worse. I just hope his injury will heal soon and he comes stronger out of it.

[eldrick]

stress fracture = broken leg

this sorta injury can finish a career

[EPelle]

stress fractures to Bekele, Klüft, both Kallurs so far this winter.

[Frans Rutten]

Bekele the Not so Invincible

I also watched Bekele on television that is.
Quite embarassing how he struggled in the last part.
But apparantly Bekele also suffered from a displaced feeling of honour to hold on to the end and most likely also from the urge getting more money out of it.
Quitting would result in a loss of an astounding figure of 75.000 euro.
Only Bekele himself can answer the question which of the two motives would come on top.

[Living in the Past]

Strange calculus regarding money--as if a long layoff due to injury won't cost Bekele far more than $75,000. How much money did Jeremy Wariner save by ditching Clyde Hart?

[AS]

Would he have lost the money (i.e. had to pay it to someone), or just not earned it?

[gh]

I think the 75,000 figure applies to that one race and his not dropping out of it.

[Frans Rutten]

Bekele the Not-so-Invincible

I think the 75,000 figure applies to that one race and his not dropping out of it.

You're right.
I should have phrased it better of cause, but thought it was obvious I was only talking about the situation that emerged during that single race.

In fact Keninisa Bekele got a so to call world record bonus totalling € 150000 in advance, providing he finished the race. He would get half if he didn't finish.

The prospects for a world record before the race were slim and Bekele, already injured, practically was the only person who wanted to give it a go. That's why I talked about a displaced feeling of honour or getting more money out of it by just finishing.

When I saw the race on TV one thougth crossed my mind.
Are the chances of Keninisa Bekele ever to break the world record marathon substantially as suggested by some on this forum not way out of reach?