Kenya’s Beatrice Chebet came agonizingly close to rewriting athletics history on Friday night, missing the women’s 5000m world record by just 2.5 seconds at the Rome Golden Gala Diamond League.
Chebet stormed to victory in a blistering time of 14:03.69, setting a new meeting record and the fastest time in the world this year. Her performance now ranks as the second-fastest ever over the distance, just behind Ethiopian Gudaf Tsegay’s 1997 world record of 14:00.21.
“I can see that my body is in good shape and that I am capable of achieving the world record,” said a confident Chebet after the race. “Now I am going home to prepare for it. Everything is possible.”
Freweyni Hailu of Ethiopia trailed in second with a time of 14:19.33, while Italy’s Nadia Battocletti thrilled the home crowd by finishing third in a personal best of 14:23.15.
Chebet’s Rome performance follows another world-leading display in Rabat last month, cementing her dominance in long-distance running this season.
In other Kenyan highlights, 2019 world champion Timothy Cheruiyot delivered a strong performance in the 1500m, finishing second in a personal best of 3:29.75 — a mere 0.02 seconds behind Frenchman Nadsine Habb, who edged him out with a powerful final sprint.
In the men’s 100m, Commonwealth champion Ferdinand Omanyala placed third with a time of 10.01 seconds. The race was won by American Trayvon Bromell in a world-leading 9.84 seconds, while Cameroonian Emmanuel Eseme clocked 9.99 seconds to finish second.
The night in Rome showcased the fierce form and determination of Kenyan athletes as the Olympic season approaches.
Written By Rodney Mbua
