🏃 Letesenbet Gidey was the pre-race favorite and with the finishing line in sight it seemed as if the Ethiopian was to win gold with ease. But meters from the tape the 24-year-old fell, and in a blink of an eye, victory was dramatically gone.
In a spectacular conclusion to the women’s race at the World Athletics Cross Country Championships in Bathurst, Australia, Saturday, Kenya’s Beatrice Chebet overhauled Gidey with an impressive final kick to win the title.
With the finishing line looming, Gidey looked over her shoulder and would have sensed Chebet, the world 5000m silver medalist, sprinting towards her. It was as the Kenyan was on her shoulder that Gidey lost her footing on the uneven ground.
To make matters worse for Gidey, the reigning 10,000m world champion, she was disqualified for outside assistance after a supporter reportedly jumped the fence to assist her.
In an Instagram post, the athlete later said: “I’m doing well. Thank you for all the messages. I’ll be back. Today was a good race with a sad ending for me. Let’s take the good forward to the future.”
Olympic great Michael Johnson tweeted: “Wow! Heartbreaking for Letesenbet at World Cross Country Champs. Literally just meters from the tape!”
😈 The Kenyan ‘Winner’ made a disgusting and ignorant statement…..I, I, I kegna, kegna!
Letesenbet holds the current world records for the 5000 metres, 10,000 metres, and half marathon, which she set in October 2020, June 2021 and October 2021, respectively. She is only the second athlete after Ingrid Kristiansen from 1989–1991 to hold them simultaneously.[3] Her record in the half marathon, making Letesenbet the first debutante to set a world record in the event, broke previous mark by more than a minute.[4][5] She also holds the world best in the 15 km road race, which was also an over one-minute improvement. Letesenbet became the first woman to break the 64 and 63-minute barriers in the half marathon and the 45-minute barrier in the 15 km. She recorded the fastest women’s marathon debut in history at the 2022 Valencia Marathon, placing her sixth on the respective world all-time list.
🏁 Amanal Petros after his record race: “I dedicate my successes to the people of Tigray”
Amanal Petros broke a German age-old record in Valencia on Sunday: In the half marathon, the runner of the TV Wattenscheid increased to 60:09 minutes, undercutting the mark of Carsten Eich, who had run 60:34 in Berlin in 1993.
The 26-year-old, who fled Eritrea to Germany about ten years ago, became the first German runner to hold the national men’s records in the half marathon and marathon at the same time. In December 2020, he had also screwed the German marathon best time at 2:07:18 hours in Valencia.
Amanal Petros gave this interview after his half marathon race:
You have achieved a novelty with your half marathon record, because never before did a German runner hold the records in the half marathon and marathon.
Amanal Petros: Yes, that’s true and I’m really very proud of that. Because I always think about where I came from and how I started. I’ll never forget that. It’s madness, I’m super happy that I’ve done all this. And I also know: I can achieve much more.
They have repeatedly pointed out the devastating situation in the Ethiopian Tigray region, where conditions of war continue to prevail. Your mother lives there with your two sisters. Do you now have contact again and what is the current situation?
Amanal Petros: It is still very difficult and currently I have no contact with my family. In the meantime, I had indirectly received a few messages via third parties. This is very bad and sad for me. For a year, people have been living there in war, children and families are dying. But no one seems to be interested in what really happens. Unfortunately, the situation is hardly reported in the media. I am constantly thinking of the people of Tigray and dedicating my successes to those who are threatened there.
🏁 Amanal Petros nach seinem Rekordrennen: „Ich widme meine Erfolge den Menschen in Tigray“
Amanal Petros hat am Sonntag in Valencia einen deutschen Uralt-Rekord gebrochen: Im Halbmarathon steigerte sich der Läufer des TV Wattenscheid auf 60:09 Minuten und unterbot damit die Marke von Carsten Eich, der 1993 in Berlin 60:34 gelaufen war.
Der 26-Jährige, der vor rund zehn Jahren aus Eritrea nach Deutschland geflüchtet war, avancierte somit zum ersten deutschen Läufer, der die nationalen Männer-Rekorde im Halbmarathon und Marathon zeitgleich hält. Im Dezember 2020 hatte er ebenfalls in Valencia die deutsche Marathon-Bestzeit auf 2:07:18 Stunden geschraubt.
Amanal Petros gab nach seinem Halbmarathon-Rennen dieses Interview:
Sie haben mit Ihrem Halbmarathon-Rekord ein Novum erreicht, denn noch nie hielt ein deutscher Läufer zeitgleich die Rekorde im Halbmarathon und Marathon.
Amanal Petros: Ja, das stimmt und darauf bin ich wirklich sehr stolz. Denn ich denke dabei auch immer daran, wo ich hergekommen bin und wie ich angefangen habe. Das werde ich nie vergessen. Es ist der Wahnsinn, ich bin super happy, dass ich das alles so geschafft habe. Und ich weiß auch: ich kann noch viel mehr erreichen.
Sie haben immer wieder auf die verheerende Situation in der äthiopischen Tigray-Region hingewiesen, in der weiterhin kriegerische Zustände herrschen. Dort lebt Ihre Mutter mit Ihren beiden Schwestern. Haben Sie inzwischen wieder Kontakt und wie ist die aktuelle Situation?
Amanal Petros: Es ist nach wie vor sehr schwierig und zurzeit habe ich gar keinen Kontakt zu meiner Familie. Zwischenzeitlich hatte ich über Dritte indirekt ein paar Nachrichten bekommen. Das ist sehr schlimm und stimmt mich traurig. Seit einem Jahr leben die Menschen dort im Krieg, Kinder und Familien sterben. Es scheint aber niemanden mehr zu interessieren, was wirklich passiert. In den Medien wird leider kaum noch über die Situation berichtet. Ich denke ständig an die Menschen in Tigray und widme meine Erfolge jenen, die dort bedroht sind.
💭 LETESENBET GIDEY PULVERIZA EL RECORD MUNDIAL DE MEDIA MARATÓN. RESUMEN MEDIA MARATÓN DE VALENCIA 2021
💭 Ethiopia’s Gidey smashes women’s half-marathon world record
Letesenbet Gidey pulverised the women’s half-marathon world record Sunday, slicing more than a minute off the previous mark when she won in Valencia.
Running in bright sunshine, it was the first half-marathon the 23-year-old Ethiopian had raced in and she added the record to her 5000m and 10,000m world records.
Gidey timed 1hr 02min 52sec to better the previous time of 1hr 04min 02sec set by Ruth Chepngetich of Kenya in April 2021.
Valencia was also the scene of Gidey’s 5000m record in October 2020.
“Gracias Valencia,” Gidey said at the finish line. “I’m so happy,” she said, holding a sign saying “First woman in history under 63 minutes”.
She ran the first 10km in 29min 45sec and then got even faster over the final section of the race.