Kenya’s Beatrice Chebet broke the women’s 10,000m world record with a victory in 28min 54.14sec at the Prefontaine Classic Diamond League athletics meeting in Eugene, Oregon, on Saturday.
The 24-year-old, a two-time world championships medallist at 5,000m and a cross-country world champion, broke the record of 29:01.03 set by Ethiopian Letesenbet Gidey in Hengelo on June 8, 2021.
Chebet’s victory in a race designated as Kenya’s Olympic qualifier immediately established her as a favorite for gold at the Paris Olympics in August.
In mild, overcast conditions perfect for the event, Chebet took advantage of enthusiastic crowd support, the work of three pacemakers through the first half of the race and the Hayward Field track’s “wavelight” pace-setting technology to become the first woman to break 29 minutes in the 10,000m.
The race, which opened Saturday’s action but was not part of the Diamond League programme, was billed as a world record attempt by Ethiopia’s Gudaf Tsegay — who shattered the 5,000m world record at Hayward Field in the Diamond League finals last September.
Chebet, who won world 5,000m silver in Eugene in 2022 and 5,000m world bronze in Budapest last year, kept pace and timed her move to the front perfectly.
Tsegay finished second in 20:05.92 — the third-fastest time ever.
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