10,000 metres, Women

Tirunesh Dibaba (ETH) had won the 5/10K double in Beijing and was favored to repeat in this race in London. Her biggest challenger was expected to be Kenyan Vivian Cheruiyot, the 2011 World Champion. But the race saw the Japanese threesome of Kayoko Fukushi, Hitomi Niiya, and Mika Yoshikawa forge an early 25-metre lead on the first two laps, joined by Irish runner Fionnuala Britton. The pack reeled them in on the fourth lap, but the three Japanese still led through nine laps. The pace was steady and the field was together for 4,000 metres. At 5,000 metres Kenyan Sally Jepkosgei Kipyego went to the lead and increased the pace. When she pushed the sixth kilometre in 3:00.02 the field spread out, with only Dibaba, her two Ethiopian teammates, Kipyego, Cheruiyot, and Bahrain’s Shitaye Eshete in the lead group. At 8,000 metres the group was four, with Werknesh Kidane (ETH), Kipyego, Cheruiyot, and Dibaba left to contest the medals. Dibaba bided her time but with 600 metres left went to the front, and surged ahead, pulling away to defend her gold medal with almost a six-second margin. Kipyego was the only one who tried to go with her, and she would win the silver, four seconds ahead of Cheruiyot’s bronze placement.

The victory made Dibaba the first woman to defend the 10K gold medal, although her cousin, Derartu Tulu, had won the event in 1992 and 2000. One week later, Dibaba would attempt to repeat the 5/10K double, but could finish only third in the 5K. In that race, Cheruiyot would win another medal with a silver. The pace was fast enough in this race that Dibaba’s 30:20.75 was the fastest time of the year and 13 of the top 14 would record either a PR or a yearly best, with Eshete setting a national record.