A few minutes before the start of Friday mornings 10,000-meter race, Almaz Ayana, a 24-year-old distance runner from Ethiopia, kneeled on the track and quickly made a cross over her chest. When the prerecorded sound of a gunshot rang through Rios Olympic Stadium, the mass of 37 runners took off and swiftly separated into two groups; Ayana and the defending champion from Ethiopia, Tirunesh Dibaba, ran in the first pack.For a dozen or so laps, they loped along in an orderly line, as though they were queuing up for coffee. Then, at the 5,200-meter mark, the front-runners prepared to lap some of the runners who lagged behind -- and Ayana broke free.Like a getaway car weaving through traffic, she swerved around the laggards, leaving the rest of the leaders in blind, hopeless pursuit. As the competition wore on, Ayana pulled farther and farther ahead, eventually setting a new world record in the 10,000-meter race: 29 minutes, 17.45 seconds.It was just her second time ever competing in the event.The first occurred just over a month ago, when the newcomer took on Dibaba at the Ethiopian Olympic trials in Hengelo, Netherlands. The results shocked the distance community -- not just because it was Ayanas first official race, but also because it was the first time that Dibaba, one of the most lauded distance runners in history, lost a 10,000-meter race. Before that day, the 31-year-old three-time gold medalist had competed in the event 11 times and won them all. Then came Ayana.Dibaba, who was returning from a hiatus after having a son, is royalty in the racing world. Her cousin, Derartu Tulu, was the first black African woman to win an Olympic gold medal. Dibabas older sister, Ejegayehu, took silver in Athens. Their younger sister, Genzebe, is tapped to win the 1,500-meter race next week. According to a profile in Vogue, the sisters are celebrities in Ethiopia, where they travel by car to avoid being mobbed. Tiruneshs wedding to fellow distance runner Sileshi Sihine was shown on national television, and the couple is opening a luxury hotel this fall.Tirunesh Dibaba lives in the capital city of Addis Ababa, but she grew up in Bekoji, a rural mountain community of about 16,000 people thats produced an extraordinary number of Olympians. The towns runners have won 10 gold medals in track and field, more than entire countries. Ayana was raised in the same area, admiring the legendary sisters from afar. When I was very young, green and wet, I was thinking of the Dibaba family, she said after the race.Dibaba, who called Ayana her lovely young sister, said she was pleased with the results. But she admitted that the pace gave her problems. In my experience, it was very difficult, she said.Unlike sprints, which have a less complicated mandate (run fast!), the 10,000-meter race requires a great deal of strategy; a moderate pace benefits runners like Dibaba, who is known for her furious kick at the end. The event poses an excruciating test of both endurance and speed. Competitors must run 25 laps quickly, but carefully, so that they dont melt into exhaustion -- which is why Ayanas fluid, relentless gait, especially after her surge at the halfway point, was so stunning.Afterward, one journalist mused aloud: I was like ... does she think this is a 5K?Almost immediately, the results invited skepticism. Ayana hadnt just beaten Wang Junxias record, she had annihilated it, topping the 1993 time by 15 seconds. It was a shocking outcome, especially given that Junxia later admitted to participating in Chinas doping program. After the race, Swedish runner Sarah Lahti, who finished 12th, told the newspaper Expressen that she didnt believe Ayana was 100 percent. She added: I cannot say that she is not clean, but there is a little doubt.When asked about the allegations, Ayana smiled. My doping is my training, she said. My doping is Jesus.For Ayana, the race began with a prayer and ended with a call to worship. At the 8,000-meter mark, she was so far in front of the pack, the stadium began to stir; applause followed behind her, rippling through the crowd like a sonic wave. When she hit the final stretch, the old world-record time flashed on a screen near the medal stand, reminding the audience of what was at stake. Everyone rose and cheered.Afterward, once she had crossed the finish line and learned what she had accomplished, Ayana waited patiently for Dibaba, who would finish in third. The young Ethiopian had easily outraced the legend and the rest of the group.And history, too. Shoes UK Online Store . 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No. 16 USC | No. 18 Georgia | Top 25No. 17: UCLALast Season: 8-5?(5-4 Pac-12 South)The Bruins defense, which played most of 2015 without its three best players, welcomes back nine starters, including LB Jayon Brown and DT Eddie Vanderdoes, who was injured for much of the season. Only four starters return on offense, but one of those is extremely talented QB Josh Rosen (3,668 yards in 15). And the Bruins schedule is on their side: They avoid Washington and Oregon and have just four Pac-12 road games -- three of them against teams with losing records in conference play last year. Dont be surprised when they win the Pac-12 South this season.UCLAs chances to win each game 09.03 @Texas A&M: 39.4% 09.10 vs. UNLV: 97.1% 09.17 @ BYU: 71.3% 09.24 vs. Stanford: 67.6% 10.01 vs. Arizona: 76.9% 10.08 @ Arizona State:?73.1% 10.15 @ Washington State:?65.1% 10.22 vs. Utah: 80.4% 11.03 @ Colorado: 77.1% 11.12 vs. Oregon State: 93.5% 11.19 @ USC: 52.2% 11.26 @ Cal: 71.8%With a deep, experienced defense and arguably the countrys most talented quarterback, UCLA is a real threat to go 10-2 in the regular season and win its first conference title since 1998. -- Kyle BonaguraThe only real question surrounding the Bruins is who will step up to support quarterback Josh Rosen?? The defense is solid, the offensive line should be steady and head coach Jim Mora is 16-4 against the Pac-12 South since 2012.dddddddddddd A minimum of 9-3 should be expected for a team with this kind of potential. -- Kevin GemmellJosh Rosen will lead the Bruins to a 9-3 season but expect plenty of new names and faces to appear as Mora looks for his playmakers around his quarterback (as well as plenty of quote-worthy moments from the sophomore QB). -- Chantel JenningsIf the Bruins can tighten up their run defense in Year 2 of the Rosen era, they should be considered favorites to win the Pac-12 South. Their secondary was already solid last season, and the return of defensive lineman Eddie Vanderdoes from injury can help UCLA to a 9-3 finish atop the South. -- David LombardiThe Bruins are the favorites in the South Division in large part because they have the nations most talented quarterback in Rosen, a true sophomore. But they also have an outstanding secondary, good running backs and a scattering of A-list linemen, which makes a 9-3 record a good start for an over-under. -- Ted MillerNo. 16 USC | No. 18 Georgia | Top 25 ' ' '