Distance not problem for kenyan chebet.
Kenyan Beatrice Chebet broke the women’s 10,000-meter world record with a victory in 28 minutes, 54.14 seconds at the Prefontaine Classic Diamond League track meet in Eugene, Oregon, on Saturday. The 24-year-old athlete, a two-time world championship medalist in the 5,000 m and cross-country world champion, surpassed the record of 29:01.03 set by Ethiopian Letesenbet Gidey in Hengelo on June 8, 2021.
Chebet’s victory in the race designated as Kenya’s Olympic qualifier made him the gold medal favorite at the Paris Olympics in August. In warm, overcast conditions perfect for the event, Chebet became the first woman to break 29 minutes, benefiting from the support of an enthusiastic crowd, the operation of three pacemakers in the first half of the race, and the Hayward Field track’s “wave light” pacing technology.
Saturday’s race was billed as a world record attempt by Ethiopian Gudaf Tsegay, who is not part of the Diamond League schedule but broke the 5,000-meter world record at Hayward Field in the Diamond League finals last September. Chebet, who has never run 10,000 meters outside Kenya before, said he did not enter his first elite distance race aiming for a world record. “For us, 10,000 people came for the Olympic selection,” he said. But he knew Tsegay was aiming for the world record and said to himself, “Let me go with it and see how my body reacts.”
Chebet, who won world 5,000 meters silver in Eugene in 2022 and world 5,000 meters bronze in Budapest last year, sat on Tsegay’s shoulder for most of the race and timed his finishing move perfectly on 22 of 25 laps. He navigated a spectacular final lap with ease. Tsegay finished second with a time of 29:05.92, the third fastest time ever.
“When I get to the last two laps, I get motivated and say, ‘Let me push for the last 400,'” said Chebet, whose two cross-country world titles came over the same distance. Chebet said he will now aim to double the 5000m-10000m at the Paris Olympics. “For me, I’m happy to make the Olympic team for the first time,” he said. “If I’m in good health, I know I’ll get a medal at the Olympics.”
Kenyan Lilian Rengeruk came third with a time of 29:26.89 and bought her ticket to Paris.
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