Vivian Cheruiyot of Kenya regained the world championships 10,000 title she earned in 2011 by outsprinting Ethiopia’s Gelete Burka in the final straightaway on Monday in Beijing, winning in 31:41.31 to Burka’s 31:41.77. Emily Infeld passed fellow American Molly Huddle in the final few meters to take the bronze medal by .09 seconds in 31:43.49.
Evan Jager’s medal hopes in the 3,000-meter steeplechase vanished on the final lap of Monday evening’s race. In the lead with one lap to go, Jager was passed by all four Kenyan entrants and ended up sixth, one place behind his teammate Dan Huling. Ezekiel Kemboi won his fourth consecutive world title in 8:11.28.
The women’s 10,000 had a large pack through a 16:11.99 first 5K, with Japanese and Portuguese runners among those swapping the lead. But it evolved into a three-way battle among the United States, Kenya, and Ethiopia; each had three runners in the top nine finishers. Americans Huddle and Shalane Flanagan occasionally displayed impatience as they ran wide, while Infeld was barely visible in the middle of the pack.
Huddle, the 2015 U.S. champion, was in front with a kilometer remaining and was a full stride ahead with 600 meters to go. But on the final circuit of the track, Burka and Cheruiyot had little difficulty rushing past her. Cheruiyot, who gave birth in October 2013, pulled away decisively from Burka. Until this year, the Ethiopian was best known as a middle-distance runner; she was the world indoor 1500 champ in 2008.
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Huddle raised her arms and slowed slightly just before the line in celebration of a medal she had not yet won. Infeld caught her from the inside just before the finish, and her momentum carried her past Huddle.
Flanagan, who trains with Infeld in Portland, Oregon, was sixth in 31:46.23. Infeld is the first non-African to medal in a world championships 10,000 since Kara Goucher in 2007.
If the 10,000 had been scored as a team event, the Americans, with three in the top six, would have won, with 13 points to 14 for Kenya and 18 for Ethiopia.
In the men’s steeplechase, Kemboi broke the race open in the final 300 meters to defend his world title. Kemboi is also the reigning Olympic champion. Conseslus Kipruto and Brimin Kipruto were silver and bronze medalists in 8:12.38 and 8:12.54, respectively, with their countryman Jarius Kirech fourth in 8:12.62.
Huling passed a spent Jager in the final straightaway to take fifth in 8:14.39, with Jager running 8:15.47.
Jager’s American record of 8:00.45 on July 4, in a race he appeared destined to win until he clipped the final barrier, raised expectations that he would medal in Beijing, with the quartet of Kenyans deemed to be his sole challengers. His prospects looked good until the backstretch of the final lap, when all four Kenyans easily passed him in the sprint for medals.
Jamaica’s Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, a world champion in 2009 and 2013, got an explosive start and had an enormous lead by the midway point of the women’s 100, which she won in 10.76. Dafne Schippers of the Netherlands, the heptathlon bronze medalist in the 2013 championships, took the silver in a national record 10.81. American Tori Bowie was third in 10.87.
