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Plodding Pace Helps Defar to 5000m Gold
Posted September 1st, 2007 at 1:00 PM by David Monti
Section: News & Results, Track & Field, Special Features, Live Race Coverage
Meseret Defar, the reigning Olympic gold medalist and world record holder at 5000m, claimed her first outdoor world title on the pentultimate day of the 11th IAAF World Championships at Nagai Stadium.
Helped by a plodding pace set by fan favorite Kayoko Fukushi, who was doubling back from the 10,000m, Defar did little but wait for 11 of the 12 and one-half laps. In the early going, she simply trailed a step behind Fukushi who was turning gentle 74 and 75 second laps. It wasn’t until the 11th lap that Vivian Cheruiyot tried to jump start the race with a sub-72 circuit. At the bell, Defar applied the pressure, but held her big sprint for the end.
“In the last 400 meters I increased the length of my stride,” said Defar after the race as if teaching a class. “And in the last 200 meters I used my sprint to win.”
Elementary, my dear Watson! Her 58.6 second final lap gave her a more than adequate cushion at the finish, grabbing the gold medal in 14:57.91, Ethiopia’s third of these championships.
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