Ethiopia got the first gold medal in the women’s events at the IAAF World Championships in Paris, as Berhane ADERE sprinted to gold in the 10,000m. Adere, the world indoor champion at 3000m, finally got her gold medal after being out sprinted by compatriot Derartu TULU in Edmonton.
Although the winning country was widely expected, the race was nothing if not exceptional. The runners started at a really fast pace, with Aniko KALOVICS(HUN) leading them through the first kilometre in 2:59.62. It was already clear that only a few would stand such a pace. It was the double Asian Games champion from last year, SUN Yingjie (CHN), who took the lead after two kilometres, and a 30-minute pace continued until 4000m, when Sun moved aside letting the Africans take over.
At this point there were only six runners left in the pack, four Ethiopians, with Sun and Lornah KIPLAGAT, who got the right to represent the Netherlands just before the competition. Kiplagat passed halfway in 15:06.53 and then nothing really happened until after the 7000m mark.
With the pace getting faster Tulu was forced to give up and step off the track. Another Ethiopian, Ejagayehu DIBABA was soon dropped from the leading group too and the four remaining runners continued with interesting tactics. Sun got to the front again after 7500m and from there on the pace was nothing but even, as every now and then some accelerated and then again slowed down. Even with such eratic running, they passed 8000m in 24:11.02 and 9000m in 27:14.06, so the final time was always going to be close to the half hour mark.
In the end it came down to a sprint finish, although Sun accelerated as early as 720 metres from the line. This move achieved nothing and all runners were still packed tightly together at the start of the last lap. Finally Adere made her famous kick with some 280 metres left and immediately Kiplagat was dropped with Sun and Werknesh KIDANE (ETH) giving chaase. In the end the win was clear for Adere with Kidane dipping in front of Sun at the finish line.
Final time for Adere, 30:04.18, is third in the world all-time list, right behind Paula RADCLIFFE (GBR). In this extraordinary race, the best women’s 10,000m of all-time, the first 15 athletes produced seasons bests. Kidane, with 30:07.15 in second and Sun, 30:07.20 in third place, moved to places four and five on the all-time list respectively. The time of Lornah Kiplagat in fourth place, 30:12.53, a Netherlands national record, would have been enough to occupy third place on the world all-time list before this race, but was still not enough for a medal here.
A total of eight runners went under 30:40 with all kinds of records broken. In fifth place was Alla ZHILYAYEVA (RUS) who bettered the three-week-old national record to 30:23.07, with Galina BOGOMOLOVA, also of Russia, sixth in 30:26.20. The 19 year-old Chinese XING Huina broke the world junior record in seventh place, running 30:31.55, and Benita JOHNSON (AUS) recorded a new Oceanian record with 30:37.68.
