The Eliud Kipchoge vs Kenenisa Bekele rivalry is one of the most talked about in Athletics. Fans have varied views on who between these two is the best of all time. Some believe Bekele is the greatest while others hold that Kipchoge's performances remains unmatched.
Kenenisa Bekele versus Eliud Kipchoge
The two have raced together many times with Bekele outclassing Kipchoge in almost all track events. They raced together for the first time in 2003 at the Oslo Bislett Games, with the Ethiopian winning the 5000m race in 12:52:26 ahead of Kipchoge.
The latter edged out Bekele during their second meeting at the 2003 World Championships.
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Between 2005 and 2011, Bekele was in a class of his own, beating Kipchoge in almost all races.
However, when it comes to road races, Kipchoge has never been beaten by Bekele. He has defeated the Ethiopian in all the four marathons that they have faced each other.
Eliud went on to break the world record and become the first human to run a marathon race in under two hours, when he clocked 1:59:40 at the Ineos 159 challenge.
Sifan Hassan versus Faith Kipyegon
Faith Kipyegon and Ethiopian-born Dutch athlete Sifan Hassan have produced spectacular moments at Diamond League meetings and International competitions in recent years.
The duo are good friends but when they line up against each other, they do not see eye to eye.
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Kipyegon leads the Dutch woman in head-to-head clashes. As of August 2021, Chepngetich had won 8 of the 14 races that the duo took part in. She clinched the 1500m at the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games, avenging her loss to Sifan at the 2019 World Championships.
Sifan and Kipyegon will renew their rivalry at the 2022 World Athletics Championships which kick off on Friday, July 14, in Oregon, United States. It would not be a surprise if one of them sets a new 1500m world record because they always push each other to the limit.
Tirunesh Dibaba versus Vivian Cheruiyot
Tirunesh Dibaba and Vivian Cheruiyot are other athletes who were fierce rivals. Whenever the duo faced each other in a race, there was always a guarantee of a thrilling encounter. Although the Kenyan only won two of their seventeen career meetings, she never made it easy for Dibaba.
During their meeting at the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games, Dibaba outpaced Cheruiyot to win both the 10000m and 5000m titles.
Dibaba who is nicknamed "Baby Face Destroyer" has a total of 8 Olympic and World Championships gold medals as well as 5 world cross country championships titles.
Cheruiyot on the other hand boasts of 5 Olympic and World Championships gold medals. She won 3 world championship titles medals between 2011 and 2012.
Although Dibaba came out on top, Cheruiyot never made it easy for her. The two are without doubt one of the best female athletes East Africa has ever produced.
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