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LONDON+%28Reuters%29+-+Haile+Gebrselassie%27s+dream+of+crowning+a+glorious+career+with+victory+in+the+2012+London+Olympics+vanished+on+the+streets+of+New+York+on+Sunday.The+37-year-old+Ethiopian%2C+who+enjoyed+unparalleled+success+on+both+the+track+and+the+roads+%3Ca+href%3D%22http%3A%2F%2Fwww.newsupraonsale.****%22+title%3D%22supra+tk%22+style%3D%22text-decoration%3A+none%3Bfont-weight%3A+bold%22%3Esupra+tk%3C%2Fa%3E%2C+announced+his+retirement+after+dropping+out+of+his+New+York+City+marathon+debut+because+of+a+knee+injury.Gebrselassie+had+a+previous+change+of+mind+after+calling+time+on+his+track+career+following+the+2004+Athens+Olympics+when+he+finished+out+of+the+medals+in+the+10%2C000+meters.He+switched+to+the+road+with+immediate+success+but+said+he+would+not+run+the+marathon+at+the+2008+Beijing+Olympics+because+he+feared+air+pollution+would+exacerbate+his+exercise-induced+asthma+which+had+already+affected+him+in+London.However%2C+he+did+return+to+the+track%2C+finishing+eighth+in+the+10%2C000%2C+before+reducing+his+world+marathon+mark+to+2%3A03%3A59+in+Berlin.The+lure+of+London+may+still+persuade+Gebrselassie+to+carry+on+once+his+right+knee+heals+and+he+recovers+from+the+disappointment+of+dropping+out+on+his+New+York+City+debut.His+tearful+announcement+to+a+stunned+room+of+reporters+on+Sunday+%3Ca+href%3D%22http%3A%2F%2Fwww.monsterstockists.****%22+title%3D%22www.monsterstockists.****%22+style%3D%22text-decoration%3A+none%3Bfont-weight%3A+bold%22%3Ewww.monsterstockists.****%3C%2Fa%3E%2C+though%2C+was+unequivocal.%22I+never+thought+about+retirement%2C%22+he+said.+%22But+for+the+first+time%2C+this+is+the+day.+Let+me+stop+and+do+other+work+after+this.%22Let+me+do+another+job.+Let+me+give+a+chance+to+the+youngsters.+I+did+very+hard+work+to+win+this+race%2C+it+didn%27t+work.%22LIGHTS+UP+ROOMSGebrselassie%2C+dubbed+%22The+Emperor%22+in+Addis+Ababa+where+he+is+revered+for+his+commitment+in+investing+his+earnings+in+his+home+country.He+made+his+initial+impact+at+the+1992+world+junior+championships+where+he+won+the+5%2C000+and+10%2C000+gold+medals%2C+a+double+he+was+never+ever+able+to+replicate+as+a+senior.Gebrselassie+still+won+four+consecutive+10%2C000+world+titles+and+two+Olympic+10+km+gold+medals%2C+in+1996+and+again+at+the+2000+Sydney+Games.The+latter+race+provided+one+of+the+most+thrilling+in+Olympic+history%2C+as+Gebrselassie+just+held+off+the+challenge+of+his+great+Kenyan+rival+Paul+Tergat.Tergat%2C+unchallenged+at+his+peak+in+the+world+cross+country+championships+where+he+won+five+consecutive+titles%2C+was+the+first+to+move+to+the+marathon+where+he+set+a+world+record+of+2%3A04%3A55+in+Berlin.He+also+had+the+satisfaction+of+finishing+ahead+of+Gebrselassie+on+the+latter%27s+marathon+debut+in+the+2002+London+event%2C+although+both+finished+behind+world+record-holder+Khalid+Khannouchi.Gebrselassie%2C+showing+the+same+affinity+for+the+roads+as+he+had+for+the+track%2C+reduced+Tergat%27s+world+marathon+record+to+2%3A04%3A26+in+2007+on+the+flat+Berlin+course+and+the+following+year+broke+it+again+in+the+same+city+with+a+time+of+2%3A03%3A59.With+his+ever-present+smile+and+dedication+to+both+his+sport+and+his+country%2C+Gebrselassie+was+one+of+the+most+popular+athletes+in+world+sport.%22What+he+did+was+to+elevate+the+standard+for+everyone+%3Ca+href%3D%22http%3A%2F%2Fwww.newsupraonsale.****%22+title%3D%22Supra+Skytop+Women%22+style%3D%22text-decoration%3A+none%3Bfont-weight%3A+bold%22%3ESupra+Skytop+Women%3C%2Fa%3E%2C%22+USA+Track+%26amp%3B+Field+spokeswoman+Jill+Geer+said+on+Sunday.%22What+makes+Haile+really+special+is+he%27s+not+just+fast%2C+he%27s+really+an+ambassador+for+the+sport%2C+one+of+the+most+lovable+people+in+the+sport.+He+is+a+person+who+lights+up+rooms.%22%28Editing+by+Ed+Osmond%29SportsTopics+related+articles%EF%BC%9A%0D%0A+%3Cul%3E%0D%0A++%0D%0A+++%3Cli%3E%3Ca+href%3D%22http%3A%2F%2Fwww.seductiveadults.****%2Fblogs%2Fposts%2FBrandon073%22+target%3D%22_blank%22%3Ehttp%3A%2F%2Fwww.seductiveadults.****%2Fblogs%2Fposts%2FBrandon073%3C%2Fa%3E%3C%2Fli%3E%0D%0A++%0D%0A+++%3Cli%3E%3Ca+href%3D%22http%3A%2F%2Fwww.hlynet.****%2Fspace.php%3Fuid%3D24010%26do%3Dblog%26id%3D347792%22+target%3D%22_blank%22%3Ehttp%3A%2F%2Fwww.hlynet.****%2Fspace.php%3Fuid%3D24010%26do%3Dblog%26id%3D347792%3C%2Fa%3E%3C%2Fli%3E%0D%0A++%0D%0A+++%3Cli%3E%3Ca+href%3D%22http%3A%2F%2Fwww.vielbesucher.de%2Felg%2Fpg%2Fblog%2Fread%2F1079483%2Fgrizzlies-sign-zach-randolph-to-fouryear-contract%22+target%3D%22_blank%22%3Ehttp%3A%2F%2Fwww.vielbesucher.de%2Felg%2Fpg%2Fblog%2Fread%2F1079483%2Fgrizzlies-sign-zach-randolph-to-fouryear-contract%3C%2Fa%3E%3C%2Fli%3E%0D%0A++%0D%0A+%3C%2Ful%3E