Kenya’s Beatrice Chebet claimed the women’s 10,000m gold medal at the World Championships in Tokyo on Saturday, clocking 30:37.61 to secure the first track title of the competition.
Italy’s Nadia Battocletti took silver in a new national record of 30:38.23, while Ethiopia’s Gudaf Tsegay, the defending champion, settled for bronze in 30:39.65.
“It was a tough, very tactical race, but I ran the last 800 metres really hard,” Chebet said after her victory.
“I have never won a gold at the world championships, so I was sure I had to get it. This title means a lot to me and I hope it will motivate young athletes out there.”
Chebet, the reigning Olympic champion in both the 5,000m and 10,000m, had been widely tipped to chase a historic double but hinted she will not attempt it this time.
“The season has been long, so we are going to close the season and go for holiday,” she noted.
The race itself was a tactical battle. Chebet surged to the front midway through before briefly easing the pace to support teammate Agnes Ngetich. Ethiopia’s Fotyen Tsefay fell off as the contenders prepared for a dramatic finish before a packed 55,000-capacity National Stadium.
With five laps remaining, Ngetich maintained the tempo as Battocletti and Tsegay stayed within striking distance. Tsegay then surged with one kilometre to go, holding the lead into the bell lap. But in the final 150 metres, Chebet produced a devastating kick to storm past and seal the win.
“Tsegay pushed a lot and I had to keep going,” Chebet explained. “I ran 1,500m in the Diamond League meet in Silesia, so I felt like I was running a 1500m race. I had to push and motivate myself, but I wanted that gold medal so much.”
Chebet’s triumph makes her the first Kenyan woman to win the 10,000m world title since Vivian Cheruiyot in 2015, reaffirming Kenya’s dominance in long-distance running.
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