Paris Olympics: Magret Chelimo out to make amends in 10,000m final
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Reading Time: 2min | Fri. 09.08.24. | 06:30
Kenya is yet to win a medal in the women’s 10,000m at the Summer Games, silver being the best result for the country
Former World 10,000m bronze medalist (2022) Margaret Chelimo will take to the track again on Friday 9 August for the women’s 10,000m where she looks to be on the podium.
Chelimo, a 5000m silver medalist from the World Championships in 2019, has already raced once in Paris, finishing fifth in a season best (SB) time of 14:32.23 as compatriots and world record holders Beatrice Chebet and Faith Kipyegon won gold and silver respectively.
On her debut, having missed Tokyo 2020 action after finishing fourth in the Kenyan trials, Chelimo is out to make amends and bag a medal in the longer distance on the grandest of stages.
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At 31, the Nandi County- born athlete has enjoyed considerable success on the international stage. On top of her silver and bronze in the Worlds, she won silver in 5000m at the 2018 Commonwealth Games. She also has several African medals to her name.
Last year at the World Championships in Budapest, Chelimo missed out on the podium by a whisker as Kipyegon, Sifan Hassan and Chebet occupied the podium places in 5000m.
In the previous world edition in Eugene she had chosen to double and was fourth in the shorter distance, winning bronze in the 10,000m, a feat she will definitely hope to repeat when she takes on a star-studded field.
Chelimo renews rivalry with fellow Kenyan and world record holders Chebet and defending champion Hassan, two women who outdid her in the 5000m to medal.
With her world record of 28:54.14, Chebet became the first woman to break the 29-minute barrier, on a night where the attempt had been set up for Gudaf Tsegay. Chebet smashed Letesenbet Gidey’s mark by more than six seconds.
Tsegay, who has the fastest time this year has since withdrawn from the 10,000m race, choosing to stick with 1500m and 5000m.
Her 29:05.92 in Eugene makes her history’s third-fastest performer, and no one else has run within 20 seconds of Tsegay this season, with Kenya’s Lilian Kasait Rengeruk owning the year’s next-fastest time in 29:26.89.
Kasait completes Kenya's trio in the distance as the country chases a maiden women's title at the Games.
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