Beijing - Olympic 1,500m champion Rashid Ramzi is likely to withdraw from the 5,000m race, the Bahraini delegation announced on Wednesday. The Moroccan-born athlete, who now runs for Bahrain, beat Kenyan runner Asbel Kiprop on Tuesday night to win the gold medal for the 1,500m in a time of 3 minutes 32.94 seconds. He was due to run in Wednesday's 5,000m heats.
Abd Rahman Asker, Bahrain chef de mission in Beijing, said that Ramzi and his coach had decided that they would probably not compete in the 5,000m as he arrived back in the athletes village so late after Tuesday's race.
"It was a very fast race and the coach and the athlete decided that it would be better if he did not compete," Asker said.
He said that the Bahraini King had telephone Ramzi immediately after the runner won the first-ever Olympic medal for the Kingdom.
"He will be rewarded for his efforts and the King will receive him and the other members of the team personally when he returns."
Asker added that the Bahraini Olympic Committee had been inundated with congratulatory messages after the victory.
In 2005 Ramzi made history when he became the first athlete to win the 800m and 1,500m double at the same world championships.
