In May this year, Beatrice Chebet hung onto the coat tails of Gudaf Tsegay in the 10,000 metres race at the Prefontaine Classic Diamond League meeting in Eugene, Oregon.
Reason being the Ethiopian had asked organisers at Hayward Park to set her on world record pace, chasing compatriot Letesenbey Gidey’s mark of 29 minutes, 01.03 seconds.
Organisers employed wavelight technology, the flashing lights on the track’s kerb programmed at world record pace which Gudaf had to outrun to stay on world record pace.
But the script changed dramatically when the petit Chebet outkicked Gudaf to not only win the race but grab the world record herself, an amazing 28 minutes, 54.14 seconds.
Gudaf finished runner-up in 29:05.92 after leading through halfway in 14:31.08 as Chebet made her move with three laps remaining.
The race was also Kenya’s trials for the Paris Olympics and Lilian Rengeruk, third in 29:26.89 and Margaret Chelimo, fourth in 29:27.59, made the Kenyan team to Paris.
Chebet is already a gold medal winner in Paris, having won a chaotic 5,000m final on Monday with compatriot Faith Kipyegon bagging an on-and-off-and-on-again silver and Ethiopia-born Dutchwoman Sifan Hassan taking bronze.
It will be a similar cast, sans Kipyegon, tonight in the 10,000m final at the Stade de France from 8.57pm Paris time, 9.57pm Kenyan time, where Chebet will be seeking to complete a double, Sifan chasing an upgrade from the 5,000m and Gudaf hoping to get a medal.
While Chebet is doubling up in the 5,000m and 10,000m, Gudaf and Sifan have entered three events each, the Ethiopian in the 5,000m, 1,500m and 10,000m and the Dutchwoman in the 5,000m, 10,000m and marathon.
The Kenya-Ethiopia rivalry blew up on Monday when Kipyegon was temporarily stripped of her silver for allegedly “obstructing” Gudaf, a decision that was overruled by the Jury of Appeal.
The tense Ethiopia-Kenya rivalry will most probably spill over to television studios in Randburg, South Africa where Nation Media Group journalist James Wokabi is among the SuperSport panel of Olympic Games analysis alongside young Ethiopian journalist Haile Adhanon.
MultiChoice are offering all Olympic action via SuperSport on the GOtv and DStv platforms and Wokabi alongside Haile have been picked to put the action into context alongside a stellar cast of South African sporting stars.
The semi-finals of the men’s 800 metres will also be run today with national trials winner Emmanuel Wanyonyi and Commonwealth champion Wycliffe Kinyamal in the mix after compatriot Koitatoi Kidali failed to make it through in yesterday’s repechage.
Meanwhile, the team of 13 athletes and officials arrived aboard a Kenya Airways flight and travelled straight to Compiegne, which is about an hour’s drive from Paris.
This is where they will camp as they do their final preparations for the Games.
“I thank God for giving us journey mercies and enabling us to reach Paris safely. I also thank the Kenyan government for taking care of our needs as well and I can say we are ready for action, and will just be using the two-weeks training camp in Compiegne to polish up before we enter the Olympic Village on August 21,” Henry Kiprono Kirwa said.
Kiprono who previously won a Paralympic gold medal before becoming a coach, added: “Preparation back at home was good; I thank the government for the facilitation. We have prepared very well, better than during previous Paralympic Games.
The next batch of athletes which will be bigger arrives tomorrow.”
Athlete Mary Njoroge Waithera who competes in the women T11 1500m said she was excited to be in her second Paralympic Games after making her debut during the Tokyo 2020 Games.
“At the Tokyo Olympics I didn’t do very well because I was still a young athlete without experience since it was my first ever Olympic Games, but I have now learnt a lot from my coaches and fellow athletes and I have prepared very well for the Paris Games. I am confident of a podium finish,” Njoroge who has a personal best time of 4 minutes and 49 seconds said.
Kenya’s Sports Director Jaxon Indakwa who received the team at the Charles De Guele airport said every plans were in Compiegne were complete to ensure the Paralympic athletes are comfortable and have the best environment for training.
