Kenya’s Hellen Obiri celebrates after winning the women’s 5,000m final yesterday.
Kenya’s Hellen Obiri retained her 5,000m women’s title at the IAAF World Championshpip in a stunning fashion, leading from gun-to-tape to finish in a Championships record time of 14:26.72 at the Khalifa Stadium yesterday.
Margaret Kipkemboi took the silver with a personal best of 14:27.49 to make it 1-2 for Kenya. Obiri reserved everything for the last lap. The Olympic silver medallist sped up sharply on the back straight of the last lap in an attempt to shake two fellow Kenyans and Oregon-based German Konstanze Klosterhalfen.
Klosterhalfen was on Obiri’s shoulder and started to attack, but Obiri began working those arms, rocking and rolling and kicking for home.
“We have such great runners in Kenya. I worked hard to prove that we can win. It was not easy to run the championships record without the pacemakers. But I felt the energy from the crowd I just told my coach to let me focus on 5K and I will do my best. It was a long season, may be I try the 10k for the Olympics,” Obiri said.
Margaret Chelimo Kipkemboi took second place for Kenya, with Klosterhalfen finishing third.
The German trains with the Nike Oregon Project, which was headed by coach Alberto Salazar until he was banned for doping offenses on Tuesday. Klosterhalfen has not been accused of any wrongdoing.
Sifan Hassan of the Netherlands was expected to be a contender in the 5,000 before she chose to focus instead on the 1,500 and 10,000, both of which she won.
