In 30 degree C heat, cutting through the muggiest of conditions at the Bird's Nest, Bekele took over from his teammates with 2 kilometres to go an imposed such a punishing pace that he didn't need an explosive late finishing kick this time, just unmatched stamina.
His win by 30 metres over Eliud Kipchoge added to his 10,000 victory for the first double since 1980, when compatriot Miruts Yifter did it.
"This is very special for myself and also for my country. I did what I dreamed before," Bekele said.
And with Tirunesh Dibaba doing the same in the women's races, it was the first long-distance sweep for one nation.
"My plan was to pick up the pace very fast," Bekele said. "It was a very fast race." It was a bold move considering he was the only one of the top runners to already have a 10K in his legs.
It did not matter. With his double, it meant he now has one more Olympic gold than Haile Gebrselassie, who is considered Africa's greatest runner ever.
It was also redemption for Bekele, who had missed out by just one meter for a similar double in Athens four years ago when he was beaten by Hicham El Guerrouj in the 5,000.
"At that time, maybe I'm so young myself and I made some mistakes," the 26-year-old Bekele said. "Now, I'm very strong and thinking more about the race." This time his tactics were totally different. Dragging all others through in Olympic record pace, he finished in 12 minutes, 57.82 seconds, the first sub-13 minute Olympic race in history.
With Kipchoge and Edwin Cheryiyot Soi taking silver and bronze, it added to a great Olympics for Kenya, too.
World champion Bernard Lagat of the United States was flat again. Seeking to repeat the 1,500-5,000 double of last year's world championships, he failed twice, finishing only ninth to end a disappointing Olympics.
Bekele was a champion coming through when it counted. Blanka Vlasic was the best high jumper, unbeaten for almost two years, but proved suspect once again on the big occasion.
And again it was Tia Hellebaut of Belgium, who dominated her for the 2006 European title, that came through.
"I am always there at the big championships," Hellebaut said. "I am always ready. I like the pressure." Jumping on tendons that had been sore for most of the year, Hellebaut cleared 2.05 metres on her first attempt. Vlasic needed two.
It was a Belgian outdoor record for her, but more importantly, one that gave her gold.
"You just feel it is right and good," Hellebaut said. "The best jumps, you don't think. You just do them." When the Croatian missed three times at 2.07, Hellebaut clinched one of the biggest upsets of the Olympic track event.
Anna Chicherova of Russia took bronze at 2.03 metres ahead of defending champion Elena Slesarenko.
Kenya extended its middle-distance domination with a golden double from Wilfred Bungei in the men's 800 and Nancy Jebet Langat in the women's 1,500.
Despite civil unrest and riots which killed hundreds and disrupted Kenya's preparations, the east African nation had a great games which already yielded four golds and 13 medals overall.
It kept Kenya barely in front in the fight for African domination ahead of Sunday's concluding marathon. Ethiopia also had four gold but trailed badly in the overall standings with six.
Kenya got its first boost from Bungei in the 800 Saturday.
Arms flailing wildly down the finishing straight, the 2006 world indoor champion completed a great front-running race to win, pushing his chest first across the line in 1:44.65, beating Ismail Ahmed Ismail of Sudan by .05 seconds.
When world champion Alfred Yego of Kenya got the bronze, it made for the first ever African sweep in the event. It was another indication that Africa is spreading its running far beyond the traditional long-distance races.
And ever more across the gender barrier, with teenager Pamela Jelimo taking the women's 800.
"What you are seeing is a change in how our Kenyan women are being treated," said Bungei, saying they were finally allowed to chase their dreams on the track.
Soon afterward in a muggy Bird's Nest filled to its 91,000 capacity yet again, Langat won the 1,500 at the Beijing Olympics.
In a seesaw battle with world champion Maryam Jamal of Bahrain, Langat came out on top during a draining last lap.
Slowly, Langat pulled away to finish in 4:00.23 while Jamal slumped under the pressure and the heat. The pre-race champion was even overtaken by Ukrainian teammates Iryna Lyshchynska and Nataliya Tobias for silver and bronze.
After US sprinters botched their sprint relays, their 4x400 runners came through, with Sanya Richards and Jeremy Wariner compensating individual failures with team gold.
When Richards, the 400 bronze medalist, took the baton for the final leg, the US team was trailing Russia. But she closed the gap, catching Anastasia Kapachinskaya in the final straight and, with clenched teeth, secured the gold medal in the last metres in 3:18.55. Jamaica was third.
Wariner was upset by teammate LaShawn Merritt in the 400, but both co-operated Saturday to take gold in an Olympic record of 2:55.39. The Bahamas took silver, edging Russia.
It was the seventh straight Olympics the Americans have crossed the line first, although the Sydney 2000 championship team was stripped of the gold medal for a doping violation.
It left the United States in front with seven gold medals and 23 overall, one gold ahead of Russia, which had 18 overall. Jamaica also had six gold but only 11 overall for third place, ahead of Kenya.
In the javelin, Andreas Thorkildsen of Norway successfully defended his title with an Olympic record throw.
Thorkildsen's fourth toss went 90.57 metres, beating Jan Zelezny's mark of 90.17 from the 2000 Sydney Games.
Ainars Kovals of Latvia moved up two places into the silver medal position with his final attempt, relegating world champion Tero Pitkamaki of Finland to the bronze.
AP bmc
