NAIROBI, Kenya, Jun 19 – Hellen Obiri picked up her double ticket to the Tokyo Olympic Games after clinching the 10,000m race at the Kenyan trials on Saturday morning, adding on to the 5,000m crown she clinched on Thursday.
Obiri put daylight between her and the competitors to clinch the ticket, stopping the clock in 30:36.6 while Irene Cheptai finished second, also confirming her place in the Olympic entourage.
Margaret Chelimo who missed a place in the 5,000m team was unfortunate not making it in the 10,000m after pulling out injured with six laps to go when she was placed third, just a step away from Cheptai.
“It was my hope to come in and get the ticket to double and I am really delighted. Now that my targets are achieved, I need to go back and put in the work to prepare well for Tokyo,” said Obiri, still beaming with her signature smile after the gruelling 24 lap race.
Hellen Obiri leading the pack. PHOTO/Raymond Makhaya
Cheptai, the 2015 World Cross Country silver medalist was equally elated with her first ever ticket to the Olympic Games.
“Honestly troday I didn’t think I would qualify because when I looked at the field, I knew it was going to be very tough. But I am thankful to get this ticket after such a tough race. I felt really okay and strong running alongside Obiri and that is what pushed me to get to second,” Cheptai said.
Up until the 10th lap, a huge group of about 10 athletes was hurdled together in the front pack. But, the field began to break after 13 laps with Obiri and Sheila Chelagat exchanging the lead.
With seven laps to go, it whittled down to a three-horse race with Obiri, Cheptai and Chelimo running on each other’s shadows. However, Chelimo limped out of the race with six laps to go and it was now left to a two-way battle.
Obiri set her marker down and with three laps to go, she increased the gap between her and Cheptai to almost 100m and kept the same tempo till the finish line.
