Chebet Wins 10,000m World Title in Tokyo, Rules Out Distance Double
Kenya’s Beatrice Chebet claimed the women’s 10,000 metres crown at the World Athletics Championships on Saturday, but the world record holder suggested she will not attempt a distance double after a grueling season.
Chebet, who holds the world records in both the 5,000m and 10,000m, clocked 30:37.61 to win the first track gold medal of the championships at the National Stadium in Tokyo. Italy’s Nadia Battocletti produced a storming finish to take silver in a national record of 30:38.23, while Ethiopia’s defending champion Gudaf Tsegay 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 afterwards. “I have never won a gold at the world championships so I was sure I had to get it. That was running in my mind during the race. This title means a lot to me and I hope it will motivate young athletes out there.”
Chebet became a global star last year at the Paris Olympics, where she swept both the 5,000m and 10,000m titles, raising expectations she might attempt the rare double again in Tokyo.
Only Ethiopia’s Tirunesh Dibaba (2005) and Kenya’s Vivian Cheruiyot (2011) have achieved the feat at the world championships. Cheruiyot was also the last Kenyan woman to win the 10,000m crown, a decade ago in 2015.
But Chebet appeared to rule out another tilt at the double, saying: “The season has been long so we are going to close the season and go for holiday.”
The race itself unfolded in classic tactical fashion before the sell-out 55,000 crowd. Chebet took control with 14 laps remaining, leading a six-strong pack that included teammate Agnes Ngetich, Tsegay, Ejgayehu Taye, Fotyen Tsefay, and Battocletti. At the halfway mark, Chebet slowed the tempo to allow Ngetich to push the pace.
As the laps wound down, Tsefay dropped off while the quintet braced for a sprint finish in humid conditions. With 1km to go, Tsegay surged ahead, stretching the group to four. She still led at the bell, but Chebet launched her decisive kick at the 150m mark, holding off Battocletti’s late charge to secure gold.
Reflecting on her finishing burst, Chebet said: “Tsegay pushed a lot and I had to keep going. I ran 1,500m in the Diamond League meet in Silesia, so my mind was like I was at the 1,500m race. I had to push and follow, and motivate myself, but I wanted that gold medal so much.”
The victory reaffirms Chebet’s dominance over the distance and marks a historic return of the 10,000m title to Kenya, 10 years after Cheruiyot’s triumph.
