Beatrice Chebet Wins Thrilling Women's 10,000m Final at Paris Olympics, Battocletti Takes Silver
In a dramatic and closely contested race, Kenya's Beatrice Chebet claimed the gold medal in the women's 10,000 meters final at the Paris Olympics on Friday, August 9, 2024. The event, held at the iconic Stade de France, saw Chebet cross the finish line in 30:43.25, narrowly edging out Italy's Nadia Battocletti, who secured the silver medal with a time of 30:43.35. Sifan Hassan of the Netherlands, a favorite going into the race, completed the podium with a bronze medal finish in 30:44.12.
The race began with a steady pace, with a large pack of runners sticking together for the majority of the early laps. However, as the race progressed, the leading pack began to thin out, with Chebet, Battocletti, and Hassan emerging as the key contenders. Chebet made her decisive move in the final lap, showcasing her strength and endurance to outkick Battocletti in a thrilling sprint finish.
The race was not without its dramatic moments. Alessia Zarbo of France, running in front of her home crowd, tragically collapsed around the 7-kilometer mark and had to be stretchered off the track. This incident cast a shadow over the event, reminding everyone of the physical and mental demands of distance running at the highest level.
Chebet's victory added to her already impressive resume, having previously won gold in the 5,000 meters earlier in the Games. This double triumph solidifies her status as one of the premier long-distance runners in the world. Battocletti's silver marked a significant achievement for Italian athletics, while Hassan, despite her bronze finish, continued to demonstrate her remarkable versatility across multiple distances.
Other Day 9 Highlights
Women’s 400 metres final:
Marileidy Paulino became the first woman from Dominican Republic to win the Olympic gold medal in any sport by claiming the women’s 400 breaking Marie José Pérec’s Olympic record with 48.17.
Marileidy Paulino: “It is the only medal that I was missing to complete the Olympic cycle. I am thankful to God, for myself, for my job. I have been working really hard to achieve this goal. I am very happy. I still cannot believe that just happened. It was either going for the world record or the Olympic record, and thank God, I achieved the Olympic record. I want to dedicate this medal to my team, my coach, my family, the Dominican people that have been watching me and cheering for me. I don’ t come to compete for the money, but because I love athletics, to motivate the younger generations and because these achievements are doors that are being opened for the future of Dominican people."
The top three finishers all dipped the 49 seconds barrier. Selwa Naser from Barhein won the silver medal in 48.53. European champion Natalia Kaczmarek overhauled Ireland’s Rhasidat Adeleke on the final straight to win the bronze medal in 48.98. For the first time all eight have run under the 50 seconds barrier. The best ever marks for place for third, fourth, fifth, sixth, seventh and eighth were achieved.
Adeleke crossed the finish-line in 49.28 holding off Amber Anning from Great Britain, who broke the British record with 49.29. Alixis Holmes finished sixth in a PB of 49.77 beating Sada Wiliams from Barbados (49.83) and Henriette Jaeger from Norway (49.96).
Men’s triple jump final:
Jordan Diaz Fortun from Spain bounded out to 17.86m to claim the Olympic gold medal in the men’s triple jump in the first round. Diaz became the first Spanish man to win a senior global title in the triple jump.
Jordan Diaz: “To be an Olympic champion is the biggest achievement I have. It has been my dream since I was a kid, I have something on Faacebook from 2017, when I won the world under 18 title, and I wrote down that I wanted to be an Olympic champion.”
Diaz Fortun took a very narrow win over Pedro Pablo Pichardo, who leapt to 17.84m in the second round to win the silver medal. Pichardo produced a solid series which included three more valid jumps of 17.79m, 17.52m and 17.81m
Andy Diaz Hernandez won the bronze medal with 17.64 on his debut for the Italian team in just his second competition of the outdoor season following an injury on his abductor. Diaz backed up this mark with two more valid jumps of 17.63m and 17.33m. Diaz Hernandez equalled his coach Fabrizio Donato, who won the bronze medal in the triple jump in London 2012.
Jaydon Hibbert from Jamaica, world under 20 champion in Cali 2022, finished fourth with 17.61m ahead of world outdoor and indoor champion Fabrice Hugues Zango from Burkina Faso (17.50m).
Men’s 4x100 relay final:
The Canadian team formed by Aaron Brown, Jerome Blake, Brandon Rodney and André De Grasse stormed to win in the Olympic men’s 4x100 relay in 37.50. South Africa claimed silver in an African record of 37.57. De Grasse dipped over the line to beat Akani Simbine and Zgharnel Hughes.
Hughes ran a great anchor-leg to clinch a bronze medal for the British quartet also formed by Jeremiah Azu, Louie Hinchliffe and Nethaneel Mitchell Blake, who finished third in 37.61. Defending Olympic champions Italy (Matteo Melluzzo, Marcell Jacobs, Lorenzo Patta and Filippo Tortu) crossed the finish-line fourth in 37.68.
Women’s 4x100 relay final:
The US team formed by Melissa Jefferson, Twanisha Terry, Gabby Thomas and Sha’Carri Richardson won the Olympic gold medal in a seasonal best of 41.78 in torrential rain. Richardson started he anchor-leg in fourth place, but she closed the gap with a leg in 10.09 and powered the United States to a gold medal with an outstanding anchor-leg.
The US team has claimed the gold medal for the third time in the past four editions of the Olympic Games.
Gabby Thomas: “Richardson is so fast. We know that we are in good hands, as soon as she hands on the baton”.
Sha’Carri Richardson: “I just remember trusting Gabby Thomas, and knowing that she is going to put that stick in my hand, no matter what, and to leave my best on the track."
Great Britain claimed the silver medal in 41.85 just 0.07 seconds behind the United States, achieving their best result at the Olympic Games since Melbourne 1956. Dina Asher Smith, Imani Lansiquot and Daryll Neita had two tricky changeovers, but Neita ran a great anchor leg in 10.33. The Olympic 100m and 200m finalist almost overhauled Olympic 100m silver medallist Richardson down the final straight, but the US sprinter dipped over the line to win the first Olympic gold medal of his career. Great Britain has won the third consecutive Olympic medal after finishing third in Rio de Janeiro 2016 and Tokyo 20121.
Germany won the bronze medal in 41.97, the best medal by a unified German team since 1960.
Defending champions Jamaica finished fifth in 42.29. The Jamaican team did not reach the Olympic podium for the first time since 2008,
Women’s heptathlon (second day):
Nafissatou Thiam from Belgium successfully defended her Olympic title in the women’s heptathlon with 6880 points, becoming the first combined events athlete in history to win three consecutive Olympic gold medals in the women’s heptathlon. Katarina Johnson Thompson won the silver medal with 6844 points. Thiam’s compatriot Noor Vidts won the second medal for Belgium by taking bronze with 6707 points. Annik Kaelin from Switzerland placed fourth in a national record of 6639 points ahead of USA’s Anna Hall (6615) and Sofie Dokter from the Netherlands (6452). Marta Araujio from Colombia, Emma Oosterwegel from the Netherlands and Xenia Xristzan from Hungary finished seventh, eighth and ninth respectively with the same score of 6386 points.
Thiam beat Johnson Thompson by just one centimetre in the long jump with 6.41m to 6.40m. Johnson Thompson retained her lead with 5030 points, as Thiam gained just three points on her to bring her total to 4985 points. Belgium’s Noor Vidts was ranked third with 4926 points ahead of Annik Kaelin from Switzerland, who leapt to 6.59m to bring her total of 4870 points.
The British athlete took the lead after clearing 1.92m in the high jump and maintained it until the javelin throw, when Thiam threw 54.04m earning a 121-point lead over Johnson Thompson before the 800 metres.
Johnson Thompson had a 45 point-lead over Nafissatou Thiam before the javelin throw. The British heptathlete set her seasonal best of 45.49m in the first group, coming close to her PB of 46.14m.
Thiam moved ahead of Johnson Thompson by 121 points with a throw of 54.04m. Kaelin set a seasonal best of 48.14m.
Thiam led with 5924 points ahead of Johnson Thompson (5803 points), Kaelin (5694) and Vidts (5689).
Johnson Thompson needed to run more than eight seconds faster than Thiam in the 800 metres. Johnson Thompson set a PB of 2:05.63 when she won the world title in Budapest. Johnson Thompson improved her PB to 2:11.79 when she won her third European title in Rome last June.
Johnson Thompson crossed the finish-line in a lifetime best of 2:04.90, but Thiam set a PB of 2:10.62 to clinch the gold medal with 6880 points.
Nafissatou Thiam: “I feel very special. I did not cross that finish-line and think that I made history. I simply thought about all the pain, hard work, sacrifice, all those moments where I felt lonely, all of that paid off and I am really grateful for that. In sports you give everything you have in every moment. You have to take whatever the sport gives you, and it can be nothing, but today it’s a lot and I am grateful for that."
Katarina Johnson Thompson: “My team has helped me become a proper heptathlete. I am not just a high jumper and long jumper. I am a full heptathlete, and I can continue to get PBs."
Women’s shot put final:
World indoor silver medallist Yemisi Ogunleye from Germany set her outdoor PB of 20.00 in the final round to win a surprising Olympic gold medal in the women’s shot put. In the final attempt Ogunleye overtook New Zealand’s Maddison Lee Wesche, who was leading with a throw of 19.86 in the fifth round. Jayyuan Song from China won the bronze medal with 19.32m beating USA’s Jaida Ross (19.28m) and Lijao Gong (19.27m).
Yemisi Ogunleye: “My goal coming here was to reach 20 metres. That was the distance that I threw once in Glasgow. I knew I was capable of throwing such distances. In Olympic competitions it necessary to bring all the best you have because you only have the chance once2."
Women’s 100 metres hurdles semifinals:
Alaysha Johnson ran the fastest time in the women’s 100 metres hurdles in 12.34 in the second semifinal beating Nadine Visser (12.43). Olympic champion Jasmine Camacho Quinn won the third semifinal with the second fastest time and her seasonal best with 12.35 ahead of Masai Russell (12.42) and Ackera Nugent (12.43). European champion Cyrena Samba Mayela from France, who recently recovered from a bout of Covid, was one of the two non-automatic qualifiers with 12.52.
This year’s NCAA champion Grace Stark took first place in the first heat in 12.39 ahead of world indoor champion record holder Devynne Charlton (12.50). Tobi Amusan missed out the qualifying spot by one spot with 12.55.
Men’s 800 metres semifinals:
World silver medallist Emmanuel Wanyonyi was the fastest qualifier for Saturday’s final in 1:43.32. Wanyonyi recently improved his PB to 1:41.58 at the Paris Diamond League meeting last July. Bryce Hoppel took the second automatic qualifying spot with 1:41.41. Max Burgin improved his PB to 1:43.50 to advance to the final as the fastest non-automatic qualifier. Mohamed Attaoui also dipped under 1:43 with 1:43.69 to get through to the final.
Djamel Sedjati, who won two Diamond League races in Paris in 1:41.51 and in Monaco in 1:41.46, won the first semifinal in 1:45.08 ahead of Tshepiso Malesela (1:45.33) and Catalin Tecuceanu (1:45.38). Marco Arop claimed the win in the second heat in 1:45.08 beating European champion and French record holder Gabriel Tual (1:45.16).
Men’s 4x400 relay heats:
Letsile Tebogo help Botswana win the men’s 4x400 relay heat with the fastest qualifying time of 2:57.76 with a leg split In 44.43m. Tebogo returned to the track just 15 hours after winning the 200m Olympic title in an African record of 19.46.
Great Britain ran the second fastest time of 2:58.88 with a second-leg split in 43.87 by Olympic silver medallist Matthew Hudson Smith.
Sixteen-year-old Quincy Wilson made history by helping the US men’s team qualify for the final with a third place in 2:59.15 in the first heat. Wilson, who recently set the world under 18 record with 44.20 in Gainesville last July, became the youngest US male track Olympian. This record was held by 1500m and mile star Jim Ryun, who took part at the 1964 Olympic Games in Tokyo.
Wilson led off the relay by putting the defending champions in seventh place before handing over to Vernon Norwood.
Norwood, Olympic silver medallist with the 4x400 mixed relay, closed the gap from a distant seventh with a second leg in 43.54 and handed over to Bryce Deadmon, who helped the US team into fourth place. Anchorman Christopher Bailey eased past Japan’s Sato Kentaro to clinch the third qualifying spot in 2:59.15. Japan progressed as non-automatic qualifiers in fourth in a national record of 2:59.48.
Quincy Wilson: “It was an amazing moment. I had a great team on my side through the whole thing. I wasn’t 100% myself, but my team came out here and did it for me. It has not sunk in that I competed at the Olympic Games, but when I get home, I will probably soak it all in then. The goal was to be able to get the baton around. It’s just going to be motivation for me to come back and give my team a better chance”.
Vernon Norwood: “I was in the moment, watching a 16-year-old running in the Olympics, making history. I was proud of him. I am just looking at him. I said: ‘oh snap back in and let me get the stick and get it going."
Women’s 4x400 relay heats:
The United States clocked the fastest time of 3:21.44. Shamier Little clocked a second leg split in 49.30.
Great Britain ran the second fastest time in 3:24.72 holding off France by 0.01.
Jamaica won the second heat in 3:24.92 ahead of the Netherlands (3:25.09). Sharlene Mawdsley ran a final leg in 49.65 to earn Ireland the third automatic qualifying spot.
