Ethiopia’s Letesenbet Gidey edged out Hellen Obiri of Kenya in a near photo finish to win 10,000m world crown at the Hayward Stadium in Oregon on Friday.
In the home straight the race came down to a 100m sprint and Gidey just won it, dipping to pip the 32-year-old Obiri on the line in a world-leading 30:09.94.
Obiri was 0.8 seconds back and had to settle for silver while her countrywoman Margaret Chelimo completed the podium finish by taking bronze.
Olympic champion Sifan Hassan of Netherlands came home fourth in a time 30:10.56 of after failing to produce her trademark blistering sprint finishes.
“The dream came true, this victory is even more important to me than a world record,” Gidey said after the race.
“I was thinking about winning this gold since 2019 but Hassan was always there. I was also watching Obiri. This time, I was really watching them and I knew I had to be very fast in the last 300m.”
The Ethiopians and the Kenyans deployed their strategy of ‘surging’ with them alternating the lead pace so as not to allow Hassan to get into a rhythm.
Britain’s Eilish McColgan had led through the opening 400m in a comfortable 75:36. Japan’s Ririka Hironaka took over at the front on lap two, leading past 1km in 3:04.80.
Obiri the briefly took the lead that she exchanged with Gidey and Ethiopia’s Ejgayehu Taye as a pool of nine athletes trailed each other in single file with Hassan at the tail end.
Obiri was in front with four laps to go as they took the bell together with Gidey and the Kenyan almost stole the show on the line.
Athletics Kenya then lodged a complaint that Gidey had shoved Obiri but the appeal was dismissed by World Athletics ruling that the Ethiopian was already at an advantage.
Women’s 10,000m results:
- Letesenbet Gidey ETH 30:09.94
- Hellen Obiri KEN 30:10.02
- Margaret Chelimo Kipkemboi KEN 30:10.07
- Sifan Hassan NED 30:10.56
- Rahel Daniel ERI 30:12.15 National record
- Ejgayehu Taye ETH 30:12.45
- Caroline Chepkoech Kipkirui KAZ 30:17.64 National record
- Bosena Mulatie ETH 30:17.77
- Karissa Schweizer USA 30:18.05
- Eilish McColgan GBR 30:34.60
