Ethiopia’s Almaz Ayana Runs Third-Fastest Women’s 5,000 In History – 14:14.32

by LetsRun.com
May 17, 2015

Don’t hand the 5,000 World Championships gold medal to Genzebe Dibaba just yet.

Dibaba, who set a world record of 14:18.86 indoors this year, isn’t even the fastest women in the world for 2015 anymore as 23-year-old Almaz Ayana of Ethiopia ran a sensational 14:14.32 today to win the IAAF Diamond League Shanghai women’s 5,000 and move to #3 all-time on the world list.

The Race

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Ayana was in the front with three others just behind her at halfway at something really close to 7:12 flat (maybe 7:11.9) and it soon became clear that something special was possible as the lap split at 2,600 showed she’d run that 400 in 67.05. The rabbit was gone but Ayana was accelerating. After a 67.6 on the next lap, she hit 3k in 8:36.53 and only Kenya’s 3:59/14:33 woman Viola Kibiwot was close, but Kibiwot would crack on the next lap. After 2:53.84 first 1km and 2:54.90 2nd km, the third kilometer had just been run in 2:47.79.

Ayana was far from done. Her next lap was 67.8 (unofficial) then she ran 68.22 and a 68.64 as she went through 4k in 11:26.75 (2:50.22).

She closed out the sensational run with a 67.08 and 66.26 to become just the fourth woman in history to break 14:20.

After she crossed the finish line, she crossed herself and then let herself enjoy a tiny smile. Honestly, she looked like a cool customer coming home and then crossing the line as shown below.

Screenshot (484) Ayana in the final 100.
Ayana smiles after running 14:14 Ayana smiles after running 14:14.

Results and quick take analysis below.

Quick Take #1: Wow. 

Ayana came in as the sixth-fastest woman in history at 14:25.84 and had broken 14:30 each of the last two years. But the 2013 bronze medallist moved to a totally different level now.

14:20 has only been broken five times in history by four women.

History’s sub-14:20 performances.

1. 14:11.15 Tirunesh Dibaba ETH  June 6, 2008
2. 14:12.88 Meseret Defar ETH July 22, 2008
3. 14:14.32 Almaz Ayana ETH Today
4. 14:16.63 Meseret Defar ETH June 15, 2007
5. 14:18.86 Genzebe Dibaba ETH February 18, 2015

At the bell, Ayana was only about one second behind where Dibaba was when she set the WR as shown by this video.

Discuss this amazing performance on our messageboard: Almaz Ayana…. WOW!

Results

5,000 Metres - Women                                           
                                                            Pts
    1 Ayana , Almaz                    ETH   14:14.32          4        
    2 Kibiwot , Viola Jelagat          KEN   14:40.32          2        
    3 Teferi , Senbere                 ETH   14:41.98          1        
    4 Heroye , Alemitu                 ETH   14:43.28                   
    5 Jelagat , Irene                  KEN   14:55.49                   
    6 Cheptai , Irene Chepet           KEN   14:58.40                   
    7 Masai , Magdalene                KEN   14:58.54                   
    8 Nengampi , Peril                 KEN   15:08.39                   
    9 Burka , Gelete                   ETH   15:14.39                   
   10 Fente , Birtukan                 ETH   15:16.69                   
   11 Hawi , Alemitu                   ETH   15:17.52                   
   12 Chesang , Stella                 UGA   15:25.01                   
   13 Dida , Dera                      ETH   15:38.86
   14 Ding , Changqin                  CHN   15:41.28
   15 Li , Zhixuan                     CHN   16:48.59
      Tverdostup , Tamara              UKR        DNF                   
      Wafula , Lydia Nasimiyu          KEN        DNF
Splits after 2,200

67.05
67.6 (unofficial) Just kibiwott (8:36.53, 2:47 2nd km)
67.8 (unofficial)
68.22 (10:52.5 – unofficial)
68.64  (12:01.1 – unofficial)
67.08 (13:08.2 – unofficial)
66.26

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