Athletics at the 1996 Atlanta Summer Games:

Vénuste Niyongabo of Burundi was the first great runner from that nation. He was considered a medal favorite in the 1,500 but withdrew from that event to allow his countryman, Dieudonné Kwizéra to run in that event. Niyongabo had only twice before competed at 5K but he had the best speed in the event. The last two World Championships had been won by Kenya’s Ismael Kirui but he did not compete in Atlanta. In August 1995, Ethiopia’s Haile Gebrselassie had shattered the world record by 11 seconds, running 12:44.39, but he chose to run only 10K in Atlanta. The defending gold and silver medalists, Dieter Baumann (FRG) and Paul Bitok (KEN), were back and qualified for the final. The final was started at a slow pace, playing into Niyangabo’s speed. America’s Bob Kennedy, a strong runner with no kick, moved to the front after 4,000 metres, trying to hold on for a medal but the attempt was futile. The final lap came down to Niyongabo, Bitok, Baumann, and Morocco’s Khalid Boulami. None of them could match Niyongabo’s speed as he won the gold medal, with Bitok finishing second as he had in 1992.