Beatrice Chebet produced a sprint finish to bag Kenya’s 1st gold medal in 10,000 m since 2015 on the first day of the Tokyo World Athletics Championships in Japan on Saturday evening.
Running behind the 10km world record holder Agnes Jebet Ng’etich for a better part of the race, Chebet out sprinted Italian Nadia Batocletti and defending champion Gudaf Tsegay of Ethiopia to clinch the only missing accolade in her illustrious career clocking 30:37.61.
Batoclotti settled for silver in 30:38.23, while Tsegay won bronze in a time of 30:39.65.
Chebet, who is also the Olympic champion, becomes the 1st Kenyan since Vivian Cheruiyot to win gold in the 25-lap race and the only 5th overall title in history after Sally Barsosio (1997), Linet Masai (2009), and Vivian Cheruiyot (2011, 2015).
“I am so happy,Coming here, I said I don’t have a gold medal from the World Championships, so I have to go for it. And I got it. I just want to thank everyone who supported me.”said elated Chebet
Chebet is now the reigning Olympic 5000m and 10,000m champion, world 10,000m champion, world cross country champion and holds the world record in both the 5000m (13:58.06) and 10,000m (28:54.14).
Her next assignement in Tokyo is winning the 5000m title which will make her become the first athlete to win both events at the World Championships since Mo Farah in 2015.
In the 5,000m in Tokyo,the 24 year old will face defending champion Faith Kipyegon,Margaret Akidor and Agnes Jebet Ng’etich.
