1-2 for Kenya! Obiri leads Kipkemboi to gold and silver
Kenya’s Hellen Obiri and Australia’s Madeline Hills compete in the athletics women's 5000m final during the 2018 Gold Coast Commonwealth Games at the Carrara Stadium on the Gold Coast on April 14, 2018. PHOTO | SAEED KHAN | AFP
What you need to know:
- The other Kenyan in the race Eva Cherono was seventh but managed a new personal best of 15:36.10.
IN GOLD COAST
World champion Hellen Obiri led compatriot Margaret Kipkemboi to a 1-2 finish in the women's 5,000m in the Commonwealth Games on Saturday.
Obiri, who is also the Olympic silver medallist over the distance, clocked 15:13.11 with Kipkemboi second in 15:15.28. England's 1500m specialist Laura Weightman timed 15:25.84 for bronze as Uganda's Juliet Chekwel coming fourth in a season best of 15:30.17.
Kenya’s Hellen Obiri crosses the finish line to win the athletics women's 5000m final during the 2018 Gold Coast Commonwealth Games at the Carrara Stadium on the Gold Coast on April 14, 2018. PHOTO | SAEED KHAN | AFP
Kenya’s Hellen Obiri wins the athletics women's 5000m final during the 2018 Gold Coast Commonwealth Games at the Carrara Stadium on the Gold Coast on April 14, 2018. PHOTO | SAEED KHAN |
Kenya’s Margaret Chelimo Kipkemboi (left) celebrates with Kenya’s Hellen Obiri after the athletics women's 5000m final during the 2018 Gold Coast Commonwealth Games at the Carrara Stadium on the Gold Coast on April 14, 2018. PHOTO | SAEED KHAN | AFP
The other Kenyan in the race Eva Cherono was seventh but managed a new personal best of 15:36.10.
Obiri was cautious and felt the pulse of the race, especially from the first 1,000 metres before hitting the front.
The Kenya Defence Forces runner crossed the 1,000m mark in 3:22.3 with Australia’s Madeline Hills and New Zealand’s Camille Buscomb among the lead pack.
“We had planned to go through the first two kilometres first and then see how race pace would be,” Obiri explained.
“Then we agreed to keep changing the lead and commanding the pace as a team, just like our men’s team did in the steeplechase.
“After 1km, I told Chelimo the pace was slow because we crossed 400 metres in 76-77 seconds so I went ahead for two laps and then asked Chelimo to go ahead.
“I saw Cherono was struggling because this was her first major race and that’s when I decided to go for it with Chelimo.”
Kenya’s Margaret Chelimo Kipkemboi reacts after the athletics women's 5000m final during the 2018 Gold Coast Commonwealth Games at the Carrara Stadium on the Gold Coast on April 14, 2018. PHOTO | SAEED KHAN | AFP
