Memorial Van Damme: Bashir Abdi abandons bid to break 10000m record
Bashir Abdi failed to break the European and Belgian 10000m records at the Memorial Van Damme on Friday. The Belgian long-distance runner abandoned his attempt after 3000m.
The Somali-born runner, who won bronze in the marathon at the Tokyo Games, failed to produce an early highlight in the Diamond League meeting in Brussels.
Abdi had set his sights on the European and Belgian records. The European record stands at 26:46.57, set by Abdi's English friend Mo Farah at a Diamond League meeting in Eugene, USA, in 2011. The Belgian record was set in 1999 by Mohammed Mourhit with 26:52.30, also in Brussels.
Abdi's personal record is 27:24.41. He set this time in June 2021 during a European Cup in Birmingham, England. Abdi improved the Belgian hour record (21.322m) at the 2020 Memorial, in a race in which Farah increased the world record (21.330m).
Bashir Abdi during the 2023 Memorial Van Damme Diamond League meeting © BELGA PHOTO JASPER JACOBS
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