In a thrilling finish, Beatrice Chebet, 24, of Kenya—who had already won gold in the 5,000 meters—claimed her second victory of the Games, winning the women’s 10,000 meters in 30:43.25.
And in a sweet moment of redemption, Italy’s Nadia Battocletti, 24, won silver in 30:43.35, a national record. The 24-year-old had briefly been named the bronze medalist in the 5,000 meters when Kenya’s Faith Kipyegon was disqualified, a decision that was reversed within several hours, dropping her back to fourth.
Chebet covered the last 400 meters in 57.4 seconds to take the win. She earns the first-ever gold for Kenya in the women’s 10,000 meters. Battocletti gets Italy its first Olympic medal ever in the 10,000 meters.
Battocletti didn’t seem bitter about the 5,000-meter drama, and accepted the final decision of the race officials. “For me the fourth place was really, really important,” she said after the 10,000. “Of course, if I won the bronze medal, I was really, really happy. But when I saw the video, I just understood that probably it’s not good to win a medal in this way. So I prefer to run faster today.”
Sifan Hassan, 31, of the Netherlands, took bronze in a season’s best 30:44.12. Hassan won this event in Tokyo and already earned bronze in the 5,000 meters; she’ll also compete one more time, in the women’s marathon on Sunday.
Though the American women couldn’t quite capitalize on the wave of distance-running medals begun by the men, they all put in impressive performances, staying with the lead pack until about 600 meters to go.
Parker Valby, 21, who just graduated from the University of Florida and has yet to sign a pro contract, even put in an impressive surge near the front with about 3.5 laps to go, leading the rest of the pack to pick up the pace.
CA Notice at Collection Weini Kelati, 27, finished eighth in 30:49.98; Bowerman Track Club’s Karissa Schweizer, 28, was right behind her in ninth in a season’s-best 30:51.99; and Valby wound up 11th, in 30:59.28.
Tonight was the first Olympic race for both Kelati and Valby; Schweizer was doubling back from the 5,000 meters at this year’s Games, where she placed 10th in 14:45.57. She also competed in both events in Tokyo, where she ran 14:55.80 to place 11th in the 5,000 meters and 31:19.96 for 12th in the 10,000 meters.
Cindy is a freelance health and fitness writer, author, and podcaster who’s contributed regularly to Runner’s World since 2013. She’s the coauthor of both Breakthrough Women’s Running: Dream Big and Train Smart and Rebound: Train Your Mind to Bounce Back Stronger from Sports Injuries, a book about the psychology of sports injury from Bloomsbury Sport. Cindy specializes in covering injury prevention and recovery, everyday athletes accomplishing extraordinary things, and the active community in her beloved Chicago, where winter forges deep bonds between those brave enough to train through it.
