L. MathekaOREGON22: Majestic Helen Obiri scrambling for 10000m glory with Ethiopian greats
Reading Time: 2min | Sat. 16.07.22. | 14:40
She missed out on a 10,000m medal at the 2019 World Championships.
Two-time 5000m world champion Hellen Obiri will be in action Saturday 16 July as she looks to dethrone defending champion Sifan Hassan in the women's 10,000m.
The race scheduled for 10.20 pm (EAT) gives team Kenya a chance to pick a first medal on day two of action at the World Athletics Championships.
Obiri, who will be joined by Magret Chelimo as the only other Kenyan in the race missed out on a 10,000m medal at the 2019 World Championships and the Olympic Games in Tokyo, finishing fifth and fourth respectively.
The third Kenyan representative in the race, Sheila Chepkirui will sadly watch the action in Nairobi as visa hitches saw her miss her chance to fly out to Oregon for the competition.
"This is a championship and everyone entered is strong. I have come here with the title in mind and that is what I will be going for. I know it is anyone's race but I beleive I am the best," Obiri said in an interview.
Obiri and Chelimo have their work cut out as they face off with defending champion Hassan who comes into the race on the back of a laid back season where she did not compete until July.
Hassan soared to a 1500m-10,000m double at the 2019 World Championships in Doha, and onwards to 5000m and 10,000m gold and 1500m bronze at the Tokyo Olympic Games and heads to the race as a favourite.
The dutch woman has a killer finish that saw her win the double in Tokyo last year but the lack of competition makes it difficult to access whether she is in the same form as last year.
Another force in Letesenbet Gidey, the Ethiopian who obliterated Hassan’s two-day-old world record of 29:06.82 with a stunning 29:01.03 in Hengelo in June last year will also be on the field.
In Doha in 2019 and in Tokyo last year, Gidey was thwarted by Hassan’s blistering kick, taking silver and bronze respectively.
Gidey has contested just three races since her sensational 1:02:52 half marathon world record run in Valencia last October.
A touted attack on her 5000m world record at the Wanda Diamond League meeting in Eugene on 28 May fell short when the 24-year-old tailed off in the last 1000m, finishing a distant runner up (14:24.59) to fellow Ethiopian Ejgayehu Taye, who won in 14:12.98.
