London, Aug 11 (IANS/RIA Novosti) Ethiopia's 2004 gold medallist Meseret Defar regained her Olympic 5,000 metres title Friday, powering dramatically past defending champion Tirunesh Dibaba in the final straight.

Defar accelerated to the line in 15 minutes 4.25 seconds, with Kenya's world champion Vivian Jepkemoi Cheruiyot taking the silver half a second back.

Dibaba, the world record holder, flagged in the last 50 metres to drop to the bronze medal in 15:05.15.

Defar was a bronze medalist in Beijing four years ago.

--IANS/RIA Novosti

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