Beatrice Chebet unleashed her trademark kick to power to the gold medal in the women’s 5000 meter race in the Tokyo World Athletics Championships 2025 after outsprinting best friend Faith Kipyegon who settled for the silver medal.
Leaving it till the final 50m, Chebet stepped into another gear as she clocked 14:54.36 to win gold and complete the 5000m and 10,000m double.
It was a remarkable performance by Chebet, who also won both the 5,000 and 10,000m at the Paris Olympics 2024.
Kipyegon, clocked a season best of 14:55.07 in clinching silver as Italy’s Nadia Battocletti claimed bronze medal after clocking 14:55.42.
How Chebet completed double in Tokyo
The American duo of Shelby Houlihan and Josette Andrews took to the front to set an easy-going early pace that continued until the last lap in Japan’s National Stadium.
The pack was packed tightly together, four wide in places. Kipyegon and Chebet at times ran side-by-side as the third Kenya Agnes Ngetich lurked on the Andrews’ shoulder.
After the opening three laps of the 12-and-a-half lap race, the pace momentarily increased, Houlihan leading a surge that saw Chebet move up the field to sit behind Italy’s world and Olympic silver medallist Nadia Battocletti and the leading trio.
Houlihan remained the pace-setter with 2km to run as the east African contingent was content to ride on her coattatils in a race shaping up to be decided by an electric last lap.
With 600 metres to run, Kipyegon made her move with Chebet and Ethiopian Gudaf Tsegay in her shadow. The 31-year-old sliced her way through the field and sat second behind Battocletti at the bell for the final 400 metres.
Around the final bend, Kipyegon was ahead, but no one had counted on Chebet’s dynamic finish, seeing off all contenders in a blistering final 50 metres to secure victory.
Tsegay struggled as she neared the line, eventually finishing fifth as Battocletti also produced a great fast finish to seal bronze in 14:55.42, just ahead of Houlihan.
More to follow…