Beatrice Chebet was determined to make the Kenyan Olympic team in the women’s 10,000 meters. However, Ethiopia’s Gudaf Tsegay had announced her plan to attempt to set a world record at the Prefontaine Classic Track & Field meet. Initially, Chebet planned on following Tsegay’s pace to see how her body responded.
In the end, Chebet secured her spot on the Summer Games team in Paris and broke the world record herself with a time of 28 minutes, 54.14 seconds. Tsegay finished second in a personal best time of 29:05.92 and congratulated Chebet on her achievement.
The women’s 10,000 meters also served as an Athletics Kenya Olympic qualifier for Kenyan athletes, with the top three finishers earning spots on the team. Chebet, Lilian Kasait Rengeruk, and Margaret Chelimo Kipkemboi all performed well and earned their spots on the team with strong performances. At just 24 years old, Chebet was thrilled at making her debut on an Olympic team and set her sights on winning a medal in Tokyo.
Meanwhile, in the men’s 10,000 meters race at Hayward Field, Daniel Mateiko took home first place with a world-leading time of 26:50.81. Nicholas Kipkorir came in second while Benard Kibet finished third to earn their spots on the Olympic team as well. Mateiko attributed his success to his confidence and determination to achieve even greater heights in his future endeavors.
Overall, it was a successful day for both Kenyan runners as they made history by breaking records and securing spots on their respective Olympic teams for Paris 2024!
