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
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.
Ayana in the final 100.
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