AFP
Ethiopia’s Letesenbet Gidey upstaged Dutch star Sifan Hassan to win the women’s 10,000m at the World Championships in Oregon on Saturday.
Gidey, the world record holder over the distance, hit the last 400m of the 25-lap race at Eugene’s Hayward Field in complete control and crossed the line with a savage dip in a winning time of 30min 09.54sec.
Kenya’s Hellen Obiri took silver in 30:10.02, with her teammate Margaret Chelimo Kipkemboi claiming bronze, just ahead of defending champion and Olympic gold medallist Hassan.
In overcast, warm conditions, Britain’s Eilish McColgan, whose mother Liz won the event in the 1991 world championships, took up the early runing before Japan’s Ririka Hironaka headed to the front of the pack.
The women averaged 73-second laps as they went through the 5km mark in 15:19. The pack remained bunched, poised for someone to take the pacing by the scruff of the neck.
McColgan found hersef back in front, but not forcing the cadence and soon fell back.
The Ethiopian pair of Gidey and Ejgayehu Taye made a move with eight laps to run, Hassan content to sit back in the pack far from the pacesetters.
As the field started to string out, the pack was whittled down to nine wth four laps to go.
At the 800m mark, Taye led, two-time world 5000m champion Obiri, also a two-time Olympic silver medallist over 5km, on her shoulder.
The pace increased into the final lap, with Hassan, who produced a stunning 1500m-10,000m double at the 2019 world champs in Doha before winning 5000m and 10,000m gold and 1500m bronze at last year’s Olympics, left with a lot to do.
The Dutch runner made her move at 200 metres, her usual outside shoulder charge.
But Gidey, a silver medallist at the 2019 worlds and bronze medal winner at the Tokyo Games, responded and Hassan faltered in her wake.
Gidey was made to work to the line, however, under pressure from the fast-charging
This high mileage and beyond repair Afro/Ethio-Centric junkie was seen running alongside our golden daughter Letesenbet bint Giday from the get go to the finish line. He was screaming from the top of his lung ‘go get’em, get’em, get’em hon, get’em tigress’ to the brink of passing out! He was running back and forth in front of the TV until his aging legs gave up on him just to fall back on the coach. I saw her aunties Derertu and Fatuma along with her Dibaba sisters egging her to the finish. I heard what she told the two runners behind her. She was admonishing them to take numbers. ‘I am telling you to take numbers because this is my house! You hear me? This is my house!!!’ I’m good!
I’m good for a month!!!!
There is more golden hardware coming. This Afro/Ethio-Centric junkie is giving you all an order to watch this athletics championship especially those in which our daughters and sons are competing. Let’s go!!!
How about our heroes doubling down their winning spree in mens marathon with a one and a two! Folks, I am on the moon now! That’s right. You don’t find me here on earth! I’m up there on the moon busting the moon dance!