© Copyright – 2024 – Athletics Illustrated

Kenyan Beatrice Chebet won the women’s 10,000-metre gold medal at the 2024 Paris Olympic Games. She played a very patient game in a slow and tactical race sitting in third and fourth position almost the entire time. Meanwhile, Gudaf Tsegay and Sifan Hassan, two other medal favourites, sat mid-pack and at the back of the pack, respectively — which was tightly bunched — for the majority of the 25-lap effort.

Chebet won in the time of 30:43.25, finishing second was Italian Nadia Battocletti in a new national record time of 30:43.35 and for her second bronze medal in Paris, Sifan Hassan clocked a 30:44.12, after running at the back of the big lead pack for nearly 25 laps.

Ethiopian Gudaf Tsegay, who instigated physical contact with Kenyan Faith Kipyegon during the 5000m race, was at it again, using her elbows to push competitors away, even splitting a pair at one point late in the race. Tsegay finished in sixth in the time of 30:45.21. The 27-year-old owns a best of 29:05.92 from May 2024. She has four World Championship medals including two gold and 5000m bronze from the Tokyo Olympics. Outside of being a physical force, she was not a factor in these Games.

Sifan Hassan was billed to be a factor but has since not dominated in quite the fashion that she expected. Initially, Hassan was going to race the 1500m (up to three races), 5000m (two races), 10,000m and the marathon. She later decided not to race the 1500m. It was too arduous of a schedule.

NCAA champion Parky Valby age 21 in her first Olympic race performed well finishing in 11th place with a 30:59.28 clocking.

Chebet’s domination

Chebet, however, has now won gold in both the 5000m and the 10,000m. She is not registered for the marathon. Chebet has been enjoying a successful past three years. She won silver in the 5000m event at the 2022 Eugene World Athletics Championships, then picked up bronze at the 2023 Budapest World Athletics Championships in the 10,000m event.

The 24-year-old Kenyan won the 2022 and 2023 World Cross Country Championships. In May 2024, at the Kenyan Olympic 10,000m Trials that were held at the Prefontaine Classic in Eugene, OR, she became the first woman to crack the 29-minute barrier, clocking the (pending) world record of 28:54.14. In Dec. 2023 she broke the world 5K (road) record clocking 14:13.

Chebet, Tsegay and Hassan hold the three of the four fastest times in history. Chebet’s and Tsegays are pending.

Top-10 all-time

RankNameCountryLocationResultDate
1Beatrice Chebet KenyaEugene28:54.1425.05.2024
2Letesenbet Gidey EthiopiaHengelo29:01.0308.06.2021
3Gudaf Tsegay EthiopiaEugene29:05.9225.05.2024
4Sifan HassanNetherlandsHengelo29:06.8206.06.2021
5Almaz Ayana EthiopiaRio de Janeiro29:17.4512.08.2016
6Lilian RengerukKenyaEugene29:26.8925.05.2024
7Margaret KipkemboiKenyaEugene29:27.5925.05.2024
8Gudaf Tsegay EthiopiaNerja 29:29.7323.06.2023
9Wang Junxia ChinaBeijing29:31.7808.09.1993
10Vivian Cheruiyot KenyaRio de Janeiro29:32.5312.08.2016

Result

PosNatAthleteResult
1KENBeatrice CHEBET30:43.25
2ITANadia BATTOCLETTI30:43.35 NR
3NEDSifan HASSAN30:44.12 SB
4KENMargaret Chelimo KIPKEMBOI30:44.58
5KENLilian Kasait RENGERUK30:45.04
6ETHGudaf TSEGAY30:45.21
7ETHFotyen TESFAY30:46.93
8USAWeini KELATI FREZGHI30:49.98
9USAKarissa SCHWEIZER30:51.99 SB
10ETHTsigie GEBRESELAMA30:54.57
11USAParker VALBY30:59.28
12UGASarah CHELANGAT31:02.37
13AUSLauren RYAN31:13.25
14BDIFrancine NIYOMUKUNZI31:17.02 PB
15GBREilish MCCOLGAN31:20.51 SB
16NEDDiane VAN ES31:25.51
17KAZDaisy JEPKEMEI31:26.55
18JPNRino GOSHIMA31:29.48
19JPNHaruka KOKAI31:44.03
20SLOKlara LUKAN31:45.15
21UGAAnnet Chemengich CHELANGAT31:50.41 PB
22JPNYuka TAKASHIMA31:52.07 SB
23GBRMegan KEITH33:19.92
 ERIRahel DANIELDNF
 FRAAlessia ZARBODNF