Public appeal persuaded Haile Gebrselassie not to retire

Passionate appeals from the Ethiopian public persuaded marathon world record holder Haile Gebrselassie to change his mind about retiring, the athlete revealed yesterday.

The 37-year-old, regarded as the greatest distance runner of all time, announced he was quitting earlier this month after dropping out of the New York Marathon with a knee injury only to reverse the decision a few days later.

"The reason (I came back] is that people were commenting on the way I announced it. Everyone in Ethiopia was passionate and wanted me to be back," Gebrselassie said. "When I was in New York I had many injuries, it made me sad and disappointed. But, of course, after treatment, things are back again," he said, adding he was now focused on the 2012 London Olympics.

The twice-Olympic 10,000 metres champion said his initial decision had been down to emotion. "I was shy and nervous when I spoke during that moment (in New York]. I'm now even asking myself 'Was it me?'," he said.

Dubbed 'The Emperor' in Addis Ababa where he is revered, Gebrselassie won four consecutive world titles over 10,000 metres and has set 27 world records, including the current one for the marathon when he ran 2:03.59 in Berlin in 2008.

lBirmingham's Alexander Stadium will host a Diamond League meeting in July next year, the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) has confirmed. The Aviva Birmingham Grand Prix, one of 14 Diamond League events to be staged around the world, has been switched from Gateshead and will take place on Sunday, 10 July.