Making history: Beatrice Chebet wins Kenya's first Olympics gold in womens 10,000m
World record holder in women’s 10,000 metres, Beatrice Chebet, won a historic Olympics gold medal for Kenya in the race at the 2024 Paris Games on Friday night.
Chebet ran a tactical race to win in 30 minutes and 43.25 seconds ahead of silver medallist Nadia Batocletti (30:43.35) of Italy, and Ethiopian-born Dutch runner Sifan Hassan who timed 30:44.12 to claim a bronze medal.
Hassan won a gold medal at the delayed 2020 Olympic Games which were held in 2021 in Tokyo.
It was the first medal for Kenya in the 24-lap race since the competition became part of the Olympic Games at the 1988 edition held in Seoul, South Korea.
Margaret Chelimo of Kenya finished fourth in the race, timing 30:44.58, followed by Lilian Kasait (30:45.04) in fifth place.
Ethiopia’s Guday Tsegay finished sixth in the race in a time of 30:45.21, followed by her compatriot Fotyen Tesfay in 30:46.93.
It was the second gold medal the 24-year-old Chebet has won at the 2024 Olympic Games, the athlete having won her first gold medal of the championship in an ill-tempered women’s 5,000m final on Monday night, that saw Kenya’s Faith Kipyegon take silver medal after withstanding a lot of shoving from Gudaf.
Chebet set the world record of 25:54.14 in the 24-lap race on May 25, 2024, while competing in the Prefontaine Classic Diamond League Meeting in Oregon, USA.