Dylan Bettencourt
Ethiopian Letesenbet Gidey claimed the first individual track title at the World Athletics Championships in the 10,000m event.
With 100m to go and the finish line in sight, Gidey was in the lead but could feel the presence of Sifan Hassan at her shoulder.
In 2019 Gidey was defeated by Hassan in the same event and again at the Tokyo Olympics last year.
But this time, the 24-year-old Gidey held out.
Gidey was determined to prove she has what it takes to beat her rival and that’s what she did. After years of chasing down Hassan, Gidey finally became the one being chased until there was no more chase on offer – Hassan had nothing left in the tank.
Gidey’s triumph was her first global gold medal which she earned in a time of 30:09:94.
In the men’s 10,000m final, another African emerged victorious as Joshua Cheptegei retained his crown.
Cheptegei won the silver medal in the event in Tokyo last year but was determined to ensure he reclaim his crown at the event held in Oregon, America.
The 25-year-old, who made his debut in 2015, has his eyes set on claiming the 5,000m crown.
The Ugandan had to dig deep in the heat if he were to become a consecutive champion, and that he did in spite of the heat.
“I did not aim to run really fast because of the heat. The sun was very strong but I was able to get stronger and keep it faster and faster,” he said.
The World Athletics Championship Medal Table:
- America – 6 golds, 4 silver, 4 bronze.
- Ethiopia – 2 golds, 1 silver, 0 bronze.
- Poland – 1 gold, 2 silver, 0 bronze.
Image source: @Reuters
