Kenya's Beatrice Chebet sets new 10,000m world record | More sports News - Times of India
Source: The Times of India
NEW DELHI: Kenya's Beatrice Chebet set a new world record in the women's 10,000m with a time of 28min 54.14sec at the Prefontaine Classic Diamond League athletics meeting in Eugene, Oregon on Saturday.
The 24-year-old, who has previously won medals at the world championships in the 5,000m and is a cross-country world champion, surpassed the previous record of 29:01.03 set by Letesenbet Gidey of Ethiopia in Hengelo on June 8, 2021.
Chebet's impressive performance in the race, which also served as Kenya's Olympic qualifier, has made her a top contender for gold at the upcoming Paris Olympics in August.
The mild and overcast weather conditions were ideal for the event, and Chebet took full advantage of the supportive crowd, the assistance of three pacemakers during the first half of the race, and the "wavelight" pace-setting technology at Hayward Field to become the first woman to run the 10,000m in under 29 minutes.
Initially, the race was promoted as an attempt by Ethiopia's Gudaf Tsegay to break the world record, as she had previously shattered the 5,000m world record at Hayward Field during the Diamond League finals in September. Chebet, who had never competed in a 10,000m race outside of Kenya before, stated that her primary goal was to qualify for the Olympics rather than setting a world record. However, aware of Tsegay's intentions, Chebet decided to stay with her and see how her body would respond.
Chebet, who has previously won silver and bronze medals in the 5,000m at the world championships in Eugene in 2022 and Budapest in 2023, respectively, timed her final move perfectly on the 22nd of the 25 laps.
She easily pulled away on the final lap, showcasing her exceptional ability at a similar distance to her two cross-country world titles. Tsegay finished second with a time of 20:05.92, which is the third-fastest time ever recorded. "When I go for the last two laps, I just get motivated, I say, 'Let me push the last 400,'" Chebet explained.
With her qualification for the Paris Olympics secured, Chebet expressed her happiness and stated her intention to target a 5,000m-10,000m double at the Games. "For me, I am happy, to be the first time on the Olympic team," she said. "With good health, I know I am going to medal at the Olympics." Kenya's Lilian Rengeruk also qualified for Paris, finishing third with a time of 29:26.89.
(Inputs from AFP)
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