The 2024 Diamond League action continued on Saturday with the 2024 Prefontaine Classic. During the exciting track and field competition from Hayward Field in Eugene, Oregon, a World Record was set as Beatrice Chebet of Kenya posted a time of 28:54.14 in the women’s 10 000 metres.
First Woman to Run under 29 minutes
Chebet is the first woman ever to run under 29 minutes in the women’s 10 000 metres. The old world record belonged to Letesenbet Gidey of Ethiopia, who had a time of 29:01.03 at the 2021 Ethiopian Olympic Trials in Hengelo, Netherlands on June 8, 2021 leading up to the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo in 2021.
Who else landed on the podium in Eugene?
Gudaf Tsegay of Ethiopia won the silver medal with a time of 29:05.92. Lilian Kasait Rengeruk of Kenya won the bronze medal with a time of 29:26.89. Chebet reached the podium by 33.45 seconds. Margaret Chelimo Kipkemboi of Kenya finished in fourth place with a time of 29:27.59. It should be noted that even though Chebet won gold, athletes in the long distance 10 000 metre competition for men and women do not accumulate Diamond League points as part of the track and field schedule.
Second World Record for Chebet
Chebet set the world record in the women’s five kilometre road race at the Cursa dels Nassos in Barcelona, Spain on New Year’s Eve with a time of 14 minutes and 13 seconds. It has since been matched by Agnes Ngetich of Kenya at the Valencia Ibercaja on January 14.
Two-time World Champion medalist
Twice Chebet has won a medal in the women’s 5000 metres at the International Association of Athletics Federations World Championships. She placed second in Eugene in 2022 and bronze in Budapest in 2023.
The Olympic Favourite
The women’s 10000 metre Olympic event will take place in Paris on August 9. No Kenyan woman has ever won an Olympic gold medal in the women’s 10 000 metres in the past.
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