2009 World Championships in Athletics – Women's 10,000 metres

The women's 10,000 metres at the 2009 World Championships in Athletics was held at the Olympic Stadium on 15 August. The Ethiopian team was particularly strong in the event, with two-time World Champion Tirunesh Dibaba, 5000 metres World Champion Meseret Defar, and African record holder Meselech Melkamu all vying for first place. The 2007 silver medallist Elvan Abeylegesse, Olympic bronze medallist Shalane Flanagan, and the World Cross Country Champion Florence Kiplagat were other athletes with strong medal possibilities.[1]

The race featured a number of surprises and upsets, beginning with the withdrawal of the defending champion Dibaba due to a leg injury, replaced by Wude Ayalew.[2] The race started awkwardly when the outer alley of the starting group, led by Florence Kiplagat, broke to the inside at the gun. Essentially Masai, Ayalew, Grace Momanyi and the other five runners on the outside who followed Kiplagat ran a course some 14 meters shorter than the twelve runners from the other larger alley. But confused officials did not recall the start or issue any disqualifications for the incident. Still, Inês Monteiro took the early lead with the outer runners falling in behind her. By the end of the first lap Yukari Sahaku and Yurika Nakamura had emerged as the pacesetters. After a kilometer, the Russian duo of Liliya Shobukhova and Mariya Konovalova took the lead. Konovalova held the point, marked by Nakamura at an even, leisurely pace for this crowd until just after eight laps to go when Linet Masai, who had been hanging around the back of the tight pack made a quick move to the front. All three Ethiopians rushed to mark the move. By the end of the lap, 2007 medallist Abeylegesse dropped out of the race and a quintet of runners ( Masai, Melkamu, Defar, Ayalew and Grace Momanyi) had broken away from the rest of the pack. Lap times dropped from the 75 second average to 71, to 69. But Masai's pace slowed back to 70 then 71. Momanyi came up to take the lead with the Ethiopians changing their focus though Ayalew was struggling to keep on the back behind Masai. After taking the break for a lap, Masai returned to take the lead. As the runners approached the finish line for the bell, favourites Defar and Melkamu sprinted in front. Defar held the lead through the final turn, with Melkamu boxing Masai, neither could completely break away. With clear running room coming off the turn, Masai tried to get her long legs going. She wasn't able to make much progress, nor could Melkamu pass her teammate until Defar began to fade, unable to maintain her speed. Melkamu took the lead. 14 meters out, Masai passed Melkamu. Perhaps not noticing, Melkamu prematurely celebrated but Masai was a meter ahead to take the gold medal with a tactically-timed run. Defar, completely exhausted, eventually finished in fifth as Ayalew sprinted past Momanyi to take the bronze.[3]

Breaking a decade of Ethiopian dominance, nineteen-year-old Masai's gold medal was the first Kenyan victory in the event since the 1997 World Championships, and the country's first 10,000 m medal since 1999.[4]

Medalists

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Gold Silver Bronze
Linet Masai
  Kenya (KEN)
Meselech Melkamu
  Ethiopia (ETH)
Wude Ayalew
  Ethiopia (ETH)

Records

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World record   Wang Junxia (CHN) 29:31.78 Beijing, China 8 September 1993
Championship record   Berhane Adere (ETH) 30:04.18 Paris, France 23 August 2003
World Leading   Meselech Melkamu (ETH) 29:53.80 Utrecht, Netherlands 14 June 2009
African record   Meselech Melkamu (ETH) 29:53.80 Utrecht, Netherlands 14 June 2009
Asian record   Wang Junxia (CHN) 29:31.78 Beijing, China 8 September 1993
North American record   Shalane Flanagan (USA) 30:22.22 Beijing, China 15 August 2008
South American record   Carmem de Oliveira (BRA) 31:47.76 Stuttgart, Germany 21 August 1993
European record   Elvan Abeylegesse (TUR) 29:56.34 Beijing, China 15 August 2008
Oceanian record   Kim Smith (NZL) 30:35.54 Palo Alto, United States 4 May 2008

Qualification standards

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A time B time
31:45.00 32:20.00

Schedule

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Date Time Round
August 15, 2009 19:25 Final

Results

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Rank Athlete Nationality Time Notes
  Linet Masai   Kenya (KEN) 30:51.24 SB
  Meselech Melkamu   Ethiopia (ETH) 30:51.34
  Wude Ayalew   Ethiopia (ETH) 30:51.95
4 Grace Momanyi   Kenya (KEN) 30:52.25 PB
5 Meseret Defar   Ethiopia (ETH) 30:52.37
6 Amy Yoder Begley   United States (USA) 31:13.78 PB
7 Yurika Nakamura   Japan (JPN) 31:14.39 PB
8 Kim Smith   New Zealand (NZL) 31:21.42 SB
9 Kayoko Fukushi   Japan (JPN) 31:23.49 SB
10 Inês Monteiro   Portugal (POR) 31:25.67 PB
11 Mariya Konovalova   Russia (RUS) 31:26.94
12 Florence Jebet Kiplagat   Kenya (KEN) 31:30.85
13 Ana Dulce Félix   Portugal (POR) 31:30.90 PB
14 Shalane Flanagan   United States (USA) 31:32.19
15 Kseniya Agafonova   Russia (RUS) 31:43.14
16 Ana Dias   Portugal (POR) 31:49.91
17 Katie McGregor   United States (USA) 32:18.49
18 Zhang Yingying   China (CHN) 32:33.63 SB
19 Liliya Shobukhova   Russia (RUS) 32:42.36
20 Yukari Sahaku   Japan (JPN) 33:41.17
Elvan Abeylegesse   Turkey (TUR) DNF
Olivera Jevtic   Serbia (SRB) DNS

Key: PB = Personal best, SB = Seasonal best

Splits

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Intermediate Athlete Country Mark
1000m Yurika Nakamura   Japan 3:08.85
2000m Mariya Konovalova   Russia 6:17.01
3000m Liliya Shobukhova   Russia 9:24.89
4000m Mariya Konovalova   Russia 12:35.29
5000m Mariya Konovalova   Russia 15:45.19
6000m Mariya Konovalova   Russia 18:55.45
7000m Linet Chepkwemoi Masai   Kenya 22:04.20
8000m Linet Chepkwemoi Masai   Kenya 25:00.18
9000m Meseret Defar   Ethiopia 27:58.29

References

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General
Specific
  1. ^ Ramsak, Bob (2009-08-09). Women's 10,000m - PREVIEW Archived 2009-08-13 at the Wayback Machine. IAAF. Retrieved on 2009-08-15.
  2. ^ No title defence for injured Dibaba[dead link]. Press Association (2009-08-15). Retrieved on 2009-08-15.
  3. ^ Butcher, Pat (2009-08-15). Berlin 2009 - Day 1 WRAP - 15 Aug. IAAF. Retrieved on 2009-08-15. Archived 2009-09-08.
  4. ^ Ramsak, Bob (2009-08-15). Event Report - Women's 10,000m - Final. IAAF. Retrieved on 2009-08-15. Archived 2009-09-08.