Ethiopian long-distance runners had the wind in their sails at the Sydney 2000 Olympics, with victories by Gebresselassie in the men's and Tulu in the women's 10,000 metre race, Wolde in the 5000 metres and Abera in the marathon. He beat Kenya's Eric Wainana, who had already won a bronze medal in Atlanta.The rightful heir to Abebe Bikila, the 1960 and 1964 Olympic champion, Abera is still young enough to aim for a career comparable to his predecessor.