Gudaf Tsegay, an Ethiopian long-distance runner, announced her intention to attempt a world record at the Prefontaine Classic Track & Field meet. This news came as a challenge for Beatrice Chebet, who had set her sights on making the Kenyan Olympic team in the women’s 10,000 meters. Despite the pressure, Chebet was determined to give it her best shot and secure her spot on the Summer Games team in Paris.
In her first 10,000-meter race since 2020, Chebet finished in an impressive time of 28 minutes and 54 seconds. This not only secured her spot on the Olympic team but also broke the world record held by Tsegay. The Ethiopian finished second and ran a personal best of 29:05.92. After the race, Tsegay congratulated Chebet and expressed her happiness despite falling short of the world record.
The women’s and men’s 10,000-meter races at the Prefontaine Classic also served as the Athletics Kenya Olympic qualifier. In addition to Chebet, Lilian Kasait Rengeruk and Margaret Chelimo Kipkemboi secured their spots on the Olympic team by finishing among the top three Kenyan runners. Chebet expressed her excitement at being part of the Olympic team and her determination to win a medal at this year’s Games.
On the men’s side, Daniel Mateiko won the race with a world-leading and personal record time of 26:50.81. He narrowly beat Nicholas Kipkorir and Benard Kibet, who finished second and third respectively, to also qualify for
