18yearold Sule Utura joined the likes of Ayelech Worku, Meseret Defar and Meselech Melkamu as the fourth Ethiopian ever to win a World Junior gold medal in the women’s 5000m tonight in Bydgoszcz.
The event has only been contested for women since 1996 and only three times has the gold medal gone outside Ethiopia.
For Utura, it was the first international title after her 3000m World youth bronze in Ostrava last year and a fourth place finish at the 2007 World Cross Country Championships in Mombasa.
In second, World Cross Country junior champion Genzebe Dibaba made it a one-two double, the younger sister of Tirunesh equalling her sibling’s performance from the 2002 World Junior championships where the 5000m World record holder trailed Olympic champion Defar for the only other Ethiopian double at the event.
16-year-old Nelly Chebet of Kenya out-sprinted team-mate Lucia Kamene Muangi for third.
“I was happy with the slow pace early in the race. I had confidence in my finishing speed. I knew one of us would win,” said Utura. “This is the biggest success of my career.”
Utura led the pack through the first kilometre in 3:28.46 with Dibaba and the Kenyan pair always in close contact. European cross country medallist Emily Pidgeon of Great Britain made a brief appearance at the front but she soon faded down the pack as Utura took control of the pace once again taking her three African rivals in 13:26.84 through the fourth kilometre.
With two laps to go Uture kicked and it looked as though Dibaba was just controlling her as she briefly looked up to the video screen to check her pursuant’ positions. However, Uture hit the bell a couple of metres ahead of Dibaba and increased her lead with 200 metres to go.
Unfortunately Dibaba lacked the kick that’s so characteristic of her older sister and just made sure the silver was secured.
“I am satisfied with my run today. My team-mate was just a little better today,” said Dibaba.
Laura Arcoleo for the IAAF
