For more than 28 minutes, roughly 23 laps around the rain-soaked track in Paris, the Olympic women’s 10,000 meters remained a conservative, bunched-up race. The languid pace gave hope to the three Americans, most notably U.S. champion Weini Kelati of Dark Sky Distance.
Then, as expected, the pace quickened, and the lead pack thinned. First, Parker Valby faded, then Karissa Schweizer and, eventually, Kelati was left behind at the bell. Kelati was eighth as the top 7 strung out.
Eventually, the favorite won, as Kenya’s Beatrice Chebet completed the double to take the 10,000 to go along with her 5,000 victory. The surprise silver went to Italy’s Nadia Battocletti, doubling back from her fourth-place 5,000 finish, and the Netherland’s Sifan Hassan, third in the 5K finished in the same spot.
And Kelati?
She ran a fine race, maintaining contact with the lead pack the whole way and finishing at the front of the chasers in eighth place. Kelati’s time of 30:49.98 was 16 seconds slower than her PR, but the championship race went from glacial to slow before picking up pace at the end.
Schweizer, doubling back from the 5,000, was right behind Kelati in ninth in 30:51.99, her season best. Valby, who made a brief, bold move into the lead with four laps to go, finished 11th in 30:59.29, her international debut.
In the morning session, Hobbs Kessler failed to advance to the final of the 800 meters, placing sixth in his heat in 1:46.20. The pace was somewhat slow and tactical, but Kessler failed to respond in the final lap when the leaders made their move.
Perhaps Kessler, 21, was fatigued after running five races in a week. He, of course, finished fifth overall, an excellent effort, in the 1,500 meters. His training partner, Bryce Hoppel, finished second in the fastest of the three heats, running 1:43.41 to advance.
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