Ethiopian world record holder Kenenisa Bekele tuned up for his Olympic defence by running the fourth-fastest 10,000 metres ever at the Prefontaine Classic in Eugene, Oregon, on Sunday.

Bekele in a near-solo performance clocked a crowd-pleasing 26:25.97 in his final 10 000 metres before Beijing's August Olympics.

"I did my best," Bekele said. "It's tough. I can't push more (faster) than this time."

Only Bekele and compatriot Haile Gebrselassie have run faster.

He was attempting to break his 2005 world record of 26:17.53 in his first outdoor US appearance.

Chinese 110 metres hurdles gold medallist and world record holder Liu Xiang, however, left questions about his Beijing preparations after a false-start disqualification.

He was disqualified for a false start after...... READ MORE

© Reuters