2017 IAAF World ChampionshipsAug 5, 2017 by Taylor Dutch
World Record-Holder Almaz Ayana Defends Global 10K Title In London
World Record-Holder Almaz Ayana Defends Global 10K Title In London
Almost a full year after shattering the world record at the Olympic Games, Almaz Ayana executed a dominating performance to defend her global title in the women's 10K. The Ethiopian distance phenom won the 10K in 30:16 at the IAAF World Championships Satu
Almost a full year after shattering the world record at the Olympic Games, Almaz Ayana executed a dominating performance to defend her global title in the women's 10K. The Ethiopian distance phenom won the 10K in 30:16 at the IAAF World Championships on Saturday in London. Ayana was followed by her Ethiopian teammate Tirunesh Dibaba who earned silver in 31:02, and Agnes Tirop of Kenya who closed for third in 31:03.
The performance marked Ayana's first race since September of 2016, as she had been dealing with ongoing injuries during the spring. But she clearly didn't miss a step in training, as evidenced by her fierce racing style in London. With a jaw-dropping 5K split of 14:24 for the last half of the race, Ayana won her second consecutive global championship.
Ayana broke the race open right after the 3K mark and never looked pack as she mercilessly increased the pace. Within one critical 67-second lap, Ayana had a 50-meter lead on the chase pack. At first, Yasemin Can attempted to follow the Olympic champion, but was swiftly left behind within 400 meters.
As we've seen from this athlete in the past, running alone didn't phase Ayana one bit. She glided through the 5K split in 15:51 while clicking off consistent 67-68-second laps. Meanwhile, her lead continued to grow dramatically. What started as a 50-meter gap grew to over 100 meters just before the 6K mark.
Behind Ayana, the chase pack fought for silver and bronze positions. Led by Alice Nawowuna, the group of Can, Tirop, Irene Cheptai, and Dibaba came through the 6K split in 19:00, almost 20 seconds behind the leader. By the next kilometer, Ayana's lead grew from almost 20 seconds to over 30 seconds on the chase pack.
The third chase pack was led by American Molly Huddle. She guided a group of seven women that included the remaining U.S. runners Emily Infeld and Emily Sisson.
With two kilometers remaining, Ayana was consistently lapping competitors in the field. She blazed through the 8K in 24:30, which marked a 2:54 split for the previous kilometer. The victor was decided, but a battle for second and third was just beginning.
Nawowuna held the lead over the chase pack from the moment Ayana made her surge at 3K, but could not hold off a hard-charging Dibaba and Tirop. Dibaba's silver medal marks her 18th global championship of her storied career. Tirop's bronze medal is her first outdoor track medal. She won the World Cross Country Championships in 2015.
According to the IAAF, Ayana's winning margin of 46.37 seconds is by far the biggest in championship history. Her last 5K split of 14:24 is the third-fastest 5K run in the world this year behind Hellen Obiri's top performances (14:18, 14:22).
The first American to cross the finish line was Infeld who closed for sixth overall in 31:20, a lifetime best for the 2015 world bronze medalist. Huddle followed in eighth with a final time of 31:24 and her training partner Sisson trailed in ninth, two seconds behind her.
The performance marked Ayana's first race since September of 2016, as she had been dealing with ongoing injuries during the spring. But she clearly didn't miss a step in training, as evidenced by her fierce racing style in London. With a jaw-dropping 5K split of 14:24 for the last half of the race, Ayana won her second consecutive global championship.
Ayana broke the race open right after the 3K mark and never looked pack as she mercilessly increased the pace. Within one critical 67-second lap, Ayana had a 50-meter lead on the chase pack. At first, Yasemin Can attempted to follow the Olympic champion, but was swiftly left behind within 400 meters.
As we've seen from this athlete in the past, running alone didn't phase Ayana one bit. She glided through the 5K split in 15:51 while clicking off consistent 67-68-second laps. Meanwhile, her lead continued to grow dramatically. What started as a 50-meter gap grew to over 100 meters just before the 6K mark.
Behind Ayana, the chase pack fought for silver and bronze positions. Led by Alice Nawowuna, the group of Can, Tirop, Irene Cheptai, and Dibaba came through the 6K split in 19:00, almost 20 seconds behind the leader. By the next kilometer, Ayana's lead grew from almost 20 seconds to over 30 seconds on the chase pack. The third chase pack was led by American Molly Huddle. She guided a group of seven women that included the remaining U.S. runners Emily Infeld and Emily Sisson.
With two kilometers remaining, Ayana was consistently lapping competitors in the field. She blazed through the 8K in 24:30, which marked a 2:54 split for the previous kilometer. The victor was decided, but a battle for second and third was just beginning.
Nawowuna held the lead over the chase pack from the moment Ayana made her surge at 3K, but could not hold off a hard-charging Dibaba and Tirop. Dibaba's silver medal marks her 18th global championship of her storied career. Tirop's bronze medal is her first outdoor track medal. She won the World Cross Country Championships in 2015.
According to the IAAF, Ayana's winning margin of 46.37 seconds is by far the biggest in championship history. Her last 5K split of 14:24 is the third-fastest 5K run in the world this year behind Hellen Obiri's top performances (14:18, 14:22).
The first American to cross the finish line was Infeld who closed for sixth overall in 31:20, a lifetime best for the 2015 world bronze medalist. Huddle followed in eighth with a final time of 31:24 and her training partner Sisson trailed in ninth, two seconds behind her.