Kenyan Beatrice Chebeta and Ethiopian runner Hagoss Gebrhivets became world champions in the five-kilometer run on Sunday in Riga, while Latvian runner Uģim Joci achieved a new Latvian record of 14 minutes and 14 seconds.
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Chebeta spent 14 minutes and 35 seconds in the five-kilometer distance, which started at Akmens bridge.
Chebeta was confident of her abilities at the finish. “As it is the first championship of this kind, I didn’t have any tactics planned. I was sure of my strength at the finish, so in the last meters I just had to trust myself. The competition was difficult, because the pace was high from the beginning,” the organizers quote Chebeta as saying.
She was four seconds ahead of compatriot Lilien Kasaita Rengeruk and five seconds ahead of the best Ethiopian runner, the world record holder in this distance, Ejgayeha Taji.
Even the runner-up, Rengeruka, admitted that the competition was very difficult. “My teammates are hard to beat, but I tried as hard as I could. I’m happy with my performance and my speed in the finish sprint. It was an exciting race,” Rengeruka said.
The best Ethiopian runner, the world record holder for this distance, Edzgayeha Taje, was very disappointed with her result of the day. She was five seconds behind the winner, and four seconds behind the second place.
“It’s hard for me to come to terms with the result. Yes, I have a bronze medal, but I’m disappointed with my performance. As a world record holder, I started with my goal. I’m very disappointed and the weather wasn’t kind to me either,” Taje concluded.
Latvian runner Evelina Krista Sitnika finished 32nd among 34 participants with a time of 17 minutes and 27 seconds.
Ethiopian Hagoss Gebrhivets won the five kilometer distance in the men’s elite group with a time of 12 minutes and 59 seconds.
He beat compatriot Yomif Kejelch by three seconds and beat Kenyan Nicholas Kipkorira, who achieved a personal record, by 17 seconds.
Gebrhiwet and Kejelcha are disappointed by the windy weather in the distance. At this year’s world championships in the stadium 5000 meters, Gebrhivit was sixth, behind Kejelcz. Compared to the championships held in Budapest, Gebrhivets felt more comfortable in Riga.
“The biggest difference between Budapest and Riga is the weather – the weather in Riga is closer to that in Ethiopia. I was happy about that, because in Budapest it was too hot and I didn’t feel well. It was also a bit windy today. There was a lot of competition and a fast race, but we should be ready for this level,” the organizers quoted Gebrhivet as saying.
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Kejelcha was disappointed with today’s result and it was affected by the wind, the athlete admitted. “Whenever I run in such conditions, it doesn’t play well. I had hoped to run a personal record, but the wind affected my performance and I couldn’t achieve my goal. Tactically, the race was grateful,” admitted Kejelcha.
On the other hand, Kipkorir emphasized that he enjoyed the run. “It was an exciting competition. I had to work hard, but I am very pleased with my performance,” said Kipkorir.
Jocis finished in 37th place, finishing by six seconds bettering Dmitry Seryogin’s record achieved last year in Barcelona, while Edgars Shumskis took 40th place in the competition of 41 runners with a time of 15 minutes and one second.
Accordingly, at 1:00 p.m. and at 1:10 p.m., the world champions in the mile distance will be determined, starting in front of the Latvian National Art Museum.
At 1:30 p.m., female runners of the elite group will start the half-marathon, which is scheduled to start at Akmens tilta, while at 2:15 p.m. men will fight for the title of world champion in the half-marathon distance.
2023-10-01 10:02:32
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