World News – AU – Cheptegei, star of Gidey on the night of broken records in Valencia

Joshua Cheptegei broke the 10,000m track world record and Ethiopian Letesenbet Gidey set a new mark for the women’s 5,000m on an exhilarating night of athletics in Valencia on Wednesday

The whole speech as the competition approached was about Cheptegei’s assault on Kenenisa Bekele’s time of 26min 1753sec created in 2005 in Brussels

The 24-year-old 10,000m world champion exceeded expectations, covering the distance in 26 minutes 1100 seconds to consolidate his position as the new middle distance maestro

Then, after a period of coronavirus lockdown in his native Uganda, he returned to Monaco and, in his first comeback race, wiped nearly two seconds off 16-year-old Bekele’s track world record. years old, on the 5000m while he was timing 12min 3536sec

Cheptegei notified his class when he won the silver medal at the 2017 world championships in London when he was only 20 years old

Last year he got better, taking gold in Doha He had already won the world cross country championship five months earlier

Until Wednesday, Cheptegei had only the 18th fastest time over the distance with a best in Doha of 26min 4836secs, more than half a minute off the record

But his performance in August was auspicious and he was aided by quick pacemakers, including Kenyan Nicholas Kimeli, world 5,000-meter finalist, and electronic timing along the track.

Another factor for the Manchester United fan was his shoe, the carbon-plated Nike Vaporfly from Nike worn by Ethiopian Gidey when she ran the 5,000m earlier in 14 minutes 662 seconds

The 22-year-old lowered the previous mark of 14min 1115 held by his compatriot Tirunesh Dibaba since 2008 by more than four seconds

Gidey built his short career a year after winning the 10,000m silver at the athletics world championships in Doha

With two pacemakers helping him reach the 3,000m record, Gidey kept up a fierce pace to put his name in the track and field record book

« I’m happy », said Gidey « I dreamed of this record for six years I want to thank Valence for giving me this chance ‘

Joshua Cheptegei, 10,000 meters, Letesenbet Gidey, World Record, Athletics, 5,000 meters, Uganda, Kenenisa Bekele