Meseret Defar Emphatically Wins Her Rematch With Genzebe Dibaba

Two-Time Olympic 5000 Champ Reestablishes Herself as Moscow Favorite;  2013 Bislett Games 5000 Recap

by LetsRun.com
June 13, 2013

No so fast.

On May 18th in Shanghai, 3:57 1500 runner Genzebe Dibaba sprinted away from two time Olympic 5000 champ Meseret Defar over the last 400 to win and to make herself the early season 5000 meter favorite for the 2013 Track and Field World Championships in Moscow.

Meseret Defar was very happy when this one was over Meseret Defar was very happy when this one was over

Well tonight in Oslo, almost a month later, Defar emphatically turned the tables on Dibaba. Defar is now firmly the 5000 favorite as after doing all of the work after the rabbits stopped after eight laps, she still crushed Dibaba and Kenya’s Viola Kibiwot over the final 300 meters to win the 2013 ExxonMobil Bislett Games 5000 in a new world leading time of 14:26.77 to Kibiwot’s 14:33.48 and Dibaba’s 14:37.68.

The Race

Article continues below player.

The rabbits did a good job of putting this on 14:40 pace as the lead rabbit made it 8 laps after hitting 3000 in 8:48.10 (that’s 14:40.17 pace). However, once the rabbits stopped, the pace accelerated, not decelerated as it did in Shanghai.

Defar didn’t want this playing into the hands of the 3:57 runner Dibaba. One the rabbits stopped, Defar accelerated and ran a bunch of 69 second laps. Heading into the bell, it was a three person’s race. Defar was in the lead with Dibaba right behind her and Kibowot right behind Dibaba.

Had Defar set herself up for failure by rabbiting the field for the last 3.5 laps? Not at all. After they hit the back stretch, Defar hit the afterburners and Dibaba was unable to respond. Kibiwot went around Dibaba but there was no catching Defar who was WAY better than everyone here over the final 300. Her final lap was 61.77 whereas Kibiwot only ran 68 and change.

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Quick takes, race highlights and results appear below.

Quick Take (QT) #1: We’ve embedded 4:55 of race highlights on the right (US visitors only we believe). It’s embedded to start with the last lap. Tim Hutchings’ call of this last lap is simply brilliant. He makes you appreciate a blow out last lap. And in America, the commentators can’t even get the name of the race winner correct.

QT #2: : It’s amazing how one race can change everything so much. Back to the 1500 for Dibaba now. We guess maybe she can take solace in the fact that the World Championship 5000 likely would be a lot slower than this so maybe her 1500 speed could play in a tactical final, but in our minds, this convincing of a loss means she should stick to the 1500 which isn’t good news for US fans as US women have zero shot in the 5000 but good chances in the 1500.

Remember Genzebe Dibaba came onto the circuit initially as a 5000 runner but didn’t enjoy much success. She seems sort of stuck in the 14:37 range (her pb is 14:37.56 from 2011). Just because you have good 1500 speed doesn’t mean you should run the 5000 because championship races are often tactical. If that was true, Leo Manzano would be a 5000 meter man.

Well if her big sister Tirunesh Dibaba doesn’t run the 5000, Genzebe could still hope maybe for 5000 silver but Defar looked way better than her tonight.

QT #2: Mercy Cherono who gave Tirunesh Dibaba a scare in the 5000 in Eugene was just fifth tonight.

QT #3: The struggles of 2009 and 2011 silver medallist Sylvia Kibet continued as she ran 15:02 for the second time on the circuit this year.

QT #4: Next to last lap split was 69.97.

Rank Athlete Nation Result Diamond Points Diamond Ranking
1
ETH
14:26.90
WL
6
1
img
2
KEN
14:33.48
PB
3
4
3
ETH
14:37.68
SB
5
2
4
KEN
14:40.48
PB
1
6
5
KEN
14:42.43
SB
2
5
6
ETH
14:50.02
PB
7
KEN
14:50.36
PB
8
KEN
14:57.56
9
KEN
15:02.01
SB
10
BRN
15:03.49
11
NED
15:04.36
PB
12
ETH
15:04.38
SB
13
ETH
15:24.11
14
NOR
15:27.31
UGA
DNF
KEN
DNF
Meseret Defar, Genzebe Dibaba and Viola Kibiwot Meseret Defar, Genzebe Dibaba and Viola Kibiwot

Intermediate times:

1000m: Achola, Janet (UGA) 2:54.47
 2000m: Achola, Janet (UGA) 5:52.39
 3000m: Kisa, Janet (KEN) 8:48.10
 4000m: Defar, Meseret (ETH) 11:40.68

 

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