World Athletics U20 Championships 2024: Ethiopia's Medina Eisa wins gold in women's 5000m; sets championship record

Medina Eisa breaks 14-year championship record at World Athletics U20 Championships 2024.

On a cool, crisp evening in the Peruvian capital on Tuesday, Ethiopia’s Medina Eisa turned up the heat on her rivals to successfully defend her 5000m title, the highlight of the first day of action at the World Athletics U20 Championships 2024 in Lima. 

Championship record ✅Back-to-back gold medals ✅🇪🇹's Medina Eisa is the 5000m queen of the #WorldAthleticsU20 Championships 🙌 pic.twitter.com/5IDW3Orrmx

— World Athletics (@WorldAthletics) August 28, 2024

Eisa’s winning time of 14:39.71 carved more than 28 seconds off the championship record set by Genzebe Dibaba, which had stood since 2010, and brought her home well clear of her compatriot Mekedes Alemeshete. The two broke away from the field from the outset and alternated pace-setting duties, passing 2000m in 5:58.59 with a 40-metre lead.

By 3000m, reached in 8:57.28, they’d built a 70-metre lead and from there it only extended, with Eisa breaking clear of her compatriot with three and a half laps to run and lapping most of the field to hand women’s 5000m gold to Ethiopia for the eighth time in the last nine editions.

Also Read: World Athletics U20 Championships 2024: Updated schedule, fixtures, results & live streaming details

Eisa had set the U-20 world record in the women’s 5000m in 2023. She was timed at 14:16.54 secs at the Olympic stadium in London.

“I’m very happy with this win and to achieve a championship record after the Olympics,” said Eisa, who finished seventh in the 5000m in Paris. “I wanted to be a champion, I have wanted this for months.” 

Alemeshete followed home in 14:57.44, with Uganda’s Charity Cherop getting bronze in a personal best of 15:25.02. Mercy Chepkemoi also registered her personal best timing of 15:33.29. Gabrielle Schmidt and Laura Ribigini were the other athletes who recorded personal bests in the event.

Kenya’s  Andrew Kiptoo Alamisi wins gold in men’s 5000m at World Athletics U20 Championships 2024

The men’s 5000m proved a very different race, with some early moves proving inconsequential and the final boiling down to a sprint finish, with seven clustered together at the bell. 

As the contenders hit full speed on the final turn it was Kenya’s Andrew Kiptoo Alamisi who soon took flight like a bird, soaring to victory in 13:41.14 ahead of Ethiopia’s Abdisa Fayisa (13:41.56) and Uganda’s Keneth Kiprop (13:41.73). 

The 17-year was placed fourth until a sudden burst of pace where he overtook them all. Fayisa tried his best to keep up with him but could not match his speed. 

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