Tokyo: Kenya’s Beatrice Chebet capped a golden double as did Maria Perez on Day eight of the World Athletics Championships on Saturday — Chebet storming down the final straight to win the women’s 5,000 meters on Saturday while Perez added the 20km race walk title to the 35km gold she won earlier..
Chebet, the 25-year-old Olympic champion, who broke the world record earlier this year in Eugene with 13:58.06, added the 5,000m crown to her 10,000m title in 14:54.36.
Her compatriot and defending champion Faith Kipyegon, already the 1,500m winner in Tokyo, settled for silver just 0.71 seconds behind. Italy’s Nadia Battocletti, the 2022 European champion, claimed bronze in 14:55.42.
In a relatively slow but tactical race, Kipyegon and Chebet sat on the shoulder of Italy’s Nadia Battocletti on the final lap before kicking away in the closing stages.
Chebet crossed the line in 14:54.36 and Kipyegon followed in 14:55.07. Battocletti, the 10,000m runner-up, claimed bronze in 14:55.42, meaning all podium finishers earned their second medal of the championships.
In the women’s race walk, Maria Perez made more history in Tokyo by repeating what she did in Budapest two years back. The Spaniard achieved her second world race walk title double, retaining her 20km crown to go with the 35km gold she claimed on the first day of competition.
The 29-year-old is now a four-time world champion and a two-time Olympic medallist, and she secured her latest title in 1:25:54 – the second-fastest time of her career.
She was chased over the finish line by Mexico’s Alegna Gonzalez in a North American record of 1:26:06. Nanako Fujii delighted the home fans by earning bronze in a Japanese record of 1:26:18 – her nation’s first medal in this event in World Championships history.
Wanyonyi breaks 800m championship record
Emmanuel Wanyonyi won the 800m title, setting a championship record of 1:41.86 to add the World Championship gold to his Olympic title.
The Kenyan 21-year-old managed to hold off a fierce challenge from Canada’s defending champion Marco Arop and a fast-finishing Djamel Sedjati of Algeria. It was Sedjati who stormed through for silver in 1:41.90, and Arop got bronze in 1:41.95.
Cian McPhillips ran a big Irish record of 1:42.15 to finish fourth, ahead of Mohamed Attaoui, Max Burgin, Navasky Anderson, and Tshepiso Masalela.
It is the first time that eight men have ever dipped under 1:43 in a single race.
Meanwhile, the Netherlands’ Jessica Schilder clinched the women’s shot put gold medal on Saturday. Schilder, 26, unleashed her season-best throw of 20.29 meters on her final attempt to secure the victory, narrowly holding off a strong challenge from the United States’ Chase Jackson, the defending champion, who registered 20.21 meters for silver.
New Zealand’s Maddison-Lee Wesche, showing remarkable composure under pressure, claimed bronze with a personal best effort of 20.06 meters.
(IANS)
