Ethiopia's Gudaf Tsegay wins 5,000 m at World Championships
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Ethiopia takes home the gold.
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Ethiopia's Gudaf Tsegay celebrating with flowers after winning the 1,500 m race at the World Athletics Indoor Tour on February 9, 2021 (Reuters)
Ethiopia's Gudaf Tsegay held off challengers to win the women's 5,000 meters at the World Championships on Saturday as world record-holder Letesenbet Giday lost.
Tsegay, a Tokyo bronze medallist, traded the lead with Gidey, the world 10,000 m champion, at the race until the pack took off for a final lap.
Sifan Hassan, the Netherlands' 5,000 m Olympic champion, picked up the pace before delivering a challenge to Tsegay, who had 200 m to go. However, Hassan could not maintain her speed as Tsegay sped up to the finish line.
"I have been training well for 1,500 m, and this helps spring on the home stretch," said Tsegay, who collected silver in the 1,500 m earlier. "This win is for all of Ethiopia."
"I was trying to control the race coming from the first place during the run, so it was very hard for me... I felt in shape, and my victory confirms it was a good plan."
Kenya's Beatrice Chebet charged up in the final 200 m for a silver medal, while Ethiopia's Dawit Seyaum concluded with a Bronze.
"It was a matter of tactics. I was well positioned," said Chebet. "This medal will make a good difference for me."
This would mark the fourth gold medal for Ethiopia in Oregon, which has 10 medals in total.
Seyaum remarked that the win was a special performance for her, especially after dealing with injuries for five years.
"I hoped, and I also expected to become a medalist in this event. So I trained well and prepared myself hard for any kind of a medal," she told reporters.
