Kenya 5 Ethiopia 4

With Kenya women chipping in with their first ever golds in the 800m and 1500m, Kenya was able to pip Ethiopia in the number of golds won. All of Ethiopia's golds were won by 2 people completing incredible double doubles in the men and women's 5000m and 10000m, Tirunesh Dibaba and Kenenisa Bekele. Sammy Wanjiru claimed Kenya's first ever marathon gold and Pamela Jelimo and Nancy Langat victories were historic for Kenya. Kenya confirmed her middle distance supremacy completing a men and women's double in the 800m, the men's 1500m and the event that is regarded as Kenya's own, the men's 3000m steeplechase.

The Emperor and Empress of Entoto

Entoto is the mountain at whose feet, the city of Addis Ababa lies and is the resting place of Empress Taitu. It was Empress Tatitu who convinced her husband, Emperor Menelik II to relocate Addis Ababa from the top of the mountain to the bottom to be nearer to the therapeutic hot springs at the base.

The forests that cover Entoto's slopes provide trails on which Tirunesh Dibaba, the double Olympic champion in the women's 5000m & 10,000m, trains. I was in Addis Ababa's national stadium in May when she won the 10,000m at the 16th CAA championships and the wall of sound that the spectators made throughout the 31 minutes that it took her to complete the race caused the stand in which we were sitting to vibrate.

Kenenisa Bekele emulated his compatriot Tirunesh by winning the men's 5000m & 10000m, but went one better when he set Olympic records in both events.