Elvan Abeylegesse of Turkey waves to crowd after winning the 5,000m silver in Beijing.

Although it was Russian runners who occupied the first five spots on the European 5000m ranking in 2008, led by Liliya Shobukhova's 14:23.75 European record at the national championships in Kazan in July, but it was Turkish Elvan Abeylegesse who hogged the limelight in Beijing.

The Turkish sprang to public consciousness with a silver medal in the 0,000m at the IAAF World Championships in Osaka, but it was her two silver medals at the Olympic Games in Beijing that makes her European long distance star of the year 2008. Besides, three Europeans made it to the top eight in 5000m and four in 10,000m. Abeylegesse became the first European to go under 30 minutes clocking 29:56.34 in Beijing.

There wasn't much to talk about in the women's 5000m for Europeans before the middle of July. Only a handful of athletes went under 15 minutes before that, but in Kazan, Russia, on July 19, Liliya Shobukhova led five Russians under this limit to the best ever national race in Europe. The 31-year-old’s timing of 14:23.75 was a European record and third on the world list in 2008. Steeplechase specialist Gulnara Galkina was second clocking 14:33.13, an impressive personal best.

Before Beijing, Turkish Elvan Abeylegesse did little of note winning a really slow European Clubs Cup race (15:52.34) in Portugal and also the European Cup First League in Istanbul in June (15:26.33). She qualified for the final in Beijing with a season's best clocking 14:58.79 and then won the 5000m silver medal at Beijing which was the slowest ever. So far Abeylegesse had lost all the slow races where the finish is fast but this time her kick worked. Shobukhova finished sixth in the Beijing final with another Turkish Alemitu Bekele grabbing the seventh place and Galkina finishing in 12^th position.

In the 10,000m, Abeylegesse was considered to be a stronger medal prospect. Although the season's best 31:36.33 didn't promise much but it was the same for many competitors. The 26-year-old whose previous 10,000m best was 30:21.67 national record from 2006, stayed with double Olympic champion Tirunesh Dibaba (ETH) right until the end and finished second with a timing of 29:56.34, a European record and became the first European to break 30 minutes.

Paula Radcliffe's (GBR) previous European record 30:01.09 had stood since the 2002 European Championships in Munich. Mariya Konovalova (RUS) finished fifth setting a 30:35.84 personal best and 2006 European Champion Inga Abitova (RUS) was sixth in 30:37.33 season's best. Lornah Kiplagat (NED) was eighth in 30:40.27 a season best.

Euro stats:

5000m

New entries for the European all-time list:
1st 14:23.75 ER Liliya Shobukhova RUS
6th 14:33.13 Gulnara Galkina RUS
9th 14:38.09 Mariya Konovalova RUS

10000m
New entries for the European all-time list:

1st 29:56.34 ER Elvan Abeylegesse TUR
11th 30:35.84 Mariya Konovalova RUS
17th 30:58.48 Hilda Kibet NED
21st 31:04.88 Tatyana Aryasova RUS