LRC: Preview of Women's 5,000m
by: LetsRun.com
August 18, 2008
Welcome to the latest installment in our series
of Olympic Track and Field previews. We give you extensive overviews of
upcoming distance events, often accompanied by briefer looks at other
events of interest. Following each event preview is a 2008 descending
order list of the principal contenders and the American entrants, their
lifetime bests (if different from 2008 best) and their results in
individual events in Olympic Games and World Championships. More
installments will follow as start lists are determined.
Installment 1
Installment 2
Installment 3
Women's 5,000m: For All the Marbles
Tuesday, August 19, 7:35 AM (East Coast Time)
Overview
The women's 5,000m features the five fastest performers in
the history of the event and promises to provide some thrilling
competition. The top two runners far outdistance the field in terms of
personal bests and championship honors; the question is "Who will
prevail for the gold?" Defending Olympic Champion Meseret Defar has a seething rivarly with compatriot Tirunesh Dibaba
and the Ethiopian duo have held the last two world records in the
5,000m. Dibaba broke Defar's standard to set the current mark of
14:11.15 in Oslo this June and Defar just missed reclaiming the mark
with a 14:12.88 effort in Stockholm six weeks later. Of the pair, Defar
has the stronger championship credentials at the 5,000m and shorter
distances, while Dibaba has been globally dominant in the 10,000m and
in cross-country. Defar will be fresh for this event; Dibaba was pushed
until the final turn in winning the 10,000m gold with the
second-fastest time in history and an Olympic record. The warmer the
weather for the prelims or final of the 5,000m, the more difficult the
double will be for Dibaba. A poor race for either runner is almost
unheard of; if both are at full strength, they should occupy the top
two spots and the battle should be a classic.
The Russians, Liliya Shobukhova, Yelena Zadorozhnaya and Galina Samitova-Galkina,
all stand to figure heavily in the outcome, though they rarely race
their chief rivals on the European circuit. Shobukhova comes to Beijing
on the heels of a 14:23.75 at the Russian Championships, where she won
by a comfortable margin, and logic dictates she can run faster if
pressed. Zadorozhnaya has just missed medals in this event in the
past, placing 4th in both the 2003 Worlds and the 2004 Olympics. She
does own a bronze in the 3,000m from the 2001 World Indoors.
Samitova-Galkina took the first-ever Olympic women's steeple gold medal
with the first sub-9:00 performance in history, so she is patently fit
and race-sharp. She is slated to race and comes in with a career best
of 14:33.13 and two high finishes in global championship 5,000m finals.
Kenyans Vivian Cheruiyot and Priscah Jepleting Cherono
took home the silver and bronze medals from the 2007 Worlds in
the hot weather of Osaka and once again should place themselves in the
fray. Cheruiyot has the 3rd-fastest time in history under her belt;
alas, it is the 3rd-fastest in the field as well, and she may have to
hope one of the Ethiopian mega-stars falters if she is to claim higher
than bronze. Cherono was soundly trounced by fellow Kenyan Lucy Kabuu this summer, but should be ready to cross swords for a medal position here.
Not to be overlooked is the third Ethiopian, Meselech Melkamu,
who has been near the medal stand in the last two Worlds and may help
with some of the leading and boxing for the Ethiopian team before
making a run at a medal herself. Melkamu has run 14:38.78 this season
and will be fresh for the event while several others are coming back
from the 10k.
Elvan Abeylegesse
is coming off a stirring and phenomenal sub-30:00 10k to take the
silver medal in that event behind the amazing Dibaba. The
Ethiopian-born Turk earned the silver in last year's Worlds as well and
doubled back for 5th in the shorter race. A former world record holder
in the 5,000m, she looks even fitter this year than last and should be
right in the mix for a medal.
American Shalane Flanagan
captured the second 10k bronze medal for the USA in as many global
championships (and the first Olympic medal in a distance track event
since Lynn Jennings took the 10k bronze in Barcelona 16 years ago), following Kara Goucher's medal in Osaka last year. The two Americans, along with Jo Pavey
of Great Britain, who has three top-5 finishes in major championships,
showed it is possible to battle the Ethiopians and Kenyans, especially
in championship-style races. Flanagan has also proven she can hang with
a world-class pace from the gun, having run an American record 10,000m
in April (with company from New Zealand's Kim Smith) and lowering that record in a very fast race to garner her Olympic medal.
Picks
1.) Defar 2.) Dibaba 3.) Shobukhova
Major Contenders
Tirunesh Dibaba (Ethiopia) 2008 Best: 14:11.15 (world record) Global Championship Highlights:
2003 and 2005 World Champion, bronze medal in 2004 Olympics, 2008
Olympic 10,000m Champion, 2005 and 2007 10,000m World Champion, 2005,
2006 and 2008 World Cross-Country Champion
Meseret Defar (Ethiopia) 2008 Best: 14:12.88 (#2 all-time) Global Championship Highlights:
2004 Olympic Champion, 2007 World Champion, silver medal in 2005 World
Championships, 2004, 2006 and 2008 World Indoors 3,000m Champion
Liliya Shobukhova (Russia) 2008 Best: 14:23.75 (#4 all-time) Global Championship Highlights: Silver medals in 3,000m and 5,000m in 2006 World Indoors
Gulnara Samitova-Galkina (Russia) 2008 Best: 14:33.13 Global Championship Highlights:
6th in 2004 Olympics, 7th in 2003 World Championships, bronze medal in
1,500m in 2004 World Indoors, 2008 Olympic 3,000m steeplechase Champion
Meselech Melkamu (Ethiopia) 2008 Best: 14:38.78 Lifetime Best: 14:33.83 (2007) Global Championship Highlights: 4th in 2005 World Championships, 6th in 2007 World Championships
Yelena Zadorozhnaya (Russia) 2008 Best: 14:43.89 Global Championship Highlights:
4th in 2004 Olympics, 4th in 2003 World Championships, bronze medal in
3,000m in 2001 World Indoors, 6th in 3,000m in 2004 World Indoors
Priscah Jepleting Cherono (Kenya) 2008 Best: 14:45.12 Lifetime Best: 14:35.30 (2006) Global Championship Highlights:
Bronze medal in 2007 World Championships, 7th in 2005 World
Championships, 2nd in 2006 World Cross-Country short course, 4th in
2005 World Cross-Country short course, 7th in 2007 and 2008 World
Cross-Country
Kim Smith (New Zealand) 2008 Best: 14:45.93 Global Championship Highlights:
Eliminated in first round of 2004 Olympics, 5th in 10,000m 2007 World
Championships, 12th in 2005 World Cross-Country long course
Jen Rhines (USA) 2008 Best: 14:54.29 Global Championship Highlights:
7th in 2007 World Championships, appearances in 2000 and 2004 Olympics,
2001, 2005, 2007 World Championships and 2008 World Indoors at
distances from 3,000m to marathon
Vivian Cheruiyot (Kenya) 2008 Best: 14:57.43 Lifetime Best: 14:22.51 (#3 all-time) (2006) Global Championship Highlights:
Silver medal in 2007 World Championships, 14th in 2004 Olympics, 8th in
2007 World Cross-Country, 8th in 2004 and 2006 World Cross-Country
short course
Kara Goucher (USA) 2008 Best: 14:58.10 Lifetime Best: 14:55.02 (2007) Global Championship Highlights: No prior global appearances in 5,000m, bronze medal in 10,000m in 2007 World Championships, 10th in 10,000m in 2008 Olympics
Joanne Pavey (Great Britain) 2008 Best: 14:58.62 Lifetime Best: 14:39.96 (2006) Global Championship Highlights:
5th in 2004 Olympics, 9th in 2007 World Championships, 12th in 2000
Olympics, 15th in 2005 World Championships, 4th in 10,000m in 2007
World Championships, 12th in 10,000m in 2008 Olympics, 5th in 3,000m in
2004 World Indoors, 10th in 1,500m in 2003 World Championships
Shalane Flanagan (USA) 2008 Best: 15:02.81 Lifetime Best: 14:44.80 (American record) (2007) Global Championship Highlights:
8th in 2007 World Championships, eliminated in first rounds of 2004
Olympics and 2005 World Championships, bronze medal in 10,000m in 2008
Olympics
Elvan Abeylegesse (Turkey) 2008 Best: 15:26.33 Lifetime Best: 14:24.68 (#5 all-time) (2004) Global Championship Highlights:
5th in 2005 and 2007 World Championships, 12th in 2004 Olympics, silver
medal in 10,000m in 2008 Olympics, silver medal in 10,000m in 2007
World Championships