NAIROBI, Kenya, Aug 22 – There was late drama on the last day of the World Athletics Under-20 Championships on Sunday as Uganda’s Prisca Chesang and Ethiopia’s Melknet Wudu won an appeal on their earlier disqualification in the final of the women’s 5,000m.
The two had been disqualified after the race for lane infringement but their teams lodged an appeal which was deliberated for hours before the decision was reached on to reinstate them into their earlier positions.
Chesang had finished third while Wudu was placed second, with the disqualification meaning silver for Kenya’s Zena Cheptoo who was fourth and and Spain’s Carla Dominguez who was fifth.
It was a roller coaster of emotion for the four girls especially the Kenyan and the Spaniard.
Cheptoo, once she received the news of her elevation to silver, took the flag and did a lap of honor with glee on her face, but the joy turned to sadness again late in the evening when the appeal went through.
Zena Cheptoo celebrates news of her elevation to silver in the women’s 5,000m final at the World U20 Championships. PHOTO/Kelly Ayodi/World U20 LOC
On the race, Ethiopia’s Mizan Alem, the only sub-15 athlete on the field had blazed the race from start to finish. She had bolted upfield alongside compatriot Wudu and Uganda’s Chesang and despite Cheptoo trying to keep up, the pace was too much for her.
Alem won the race in 16:05.61 after running the entire final three laps on her own with a healthy gap existing between her and second placed Wudu.
