¶2012 OG: w5000–Meseret Defar (Eth) 15:04.26

[dj]

T&FN formchart advancers to final

1. Vivian Cheruiyot (Kenya)
2. Meseret Defar (Ethiopia)
3. Sally Kipyego (Kenya)
4. Viola Kibiwott (Kenya)
5. Gelete Burka (Ethiopia)
6. Genet Ayalew (Ethiopia)
7. Molly Huddle (USA)
8. Olga Golovkina (Russia)
9. Yelena Nagovichina (Russia)
10. Sara Moreira (Portugal)

Also advancing:
Tirunesh Dibaba (Eth)

[4:24-miler]

What's the story with Tirunesh Dibaba not entered in this race?

[Flumpy]

She will be now, you can bet on it

[Marlow]

She will be now, you can bet on it

New T&FN formchart?

1. Tirunesh Dibaba (Ethiopia)
2. Sally Kipyego (Kenya)
3. Vivian Cheruiyot (Kenya)
4. Meseret Defar (Ethiopia)
5. Viola Kibiwott (Kenya)
6. Gelete Burka (Ethiopia)
7. Molly Huddle (USA)
8. Olga Golovkina (Russia)
9. Yelena Nagovichina (Russia)
10. Sara Moreira (Portugal)

[doug5321]

ken nakamura just tweeted t. dibaba will run the 5000, can she beat a fresh defar?

[doug5321]

https://twitter.com/KKenNakamura

[DecFan]

ken nakamura just tweeted t. dibaba will run the 5000, can she beat a fresh defar?

Yes. So can Vivian.

[Daisy]

Ayalew must love this!

[Master Po]

Ayalew must love this!

Indeed -- too bad for her. I'm guessing she knew this was a possibility. (And I'm guessing that it doesn't feel good in any case.)

[aaronk]

Ayalew must love this!

Indeed -- too bad for her. I'm guessing she knew this was a possibility. (And I'm guessing that it doesn't feel good in any case.)

Yeah!
Maybe she and Jeneba can hit a pub and drown their sorrows together!!

[TN1965]

ken nakamura just tweeted t. dibaba will run the 5000, can she beat a fresh defar?

Yes. So can Vivian.

Of course, Vivian could. But I don't think she will. Losing to Kipyego by 4 sec is an indication that she is not in good form. Maybe her injury affected her preparation.

My prediction is 1. Dibaba, 2. Defar, 3. Cheruiyot (or Kipyego).

[doug5321]

Ayalew must love this!

Indeed -- too bad for her. I'm guessing she knew this was a possibility. (And I'm guessing that it doesn't feel good in any case.)

Yeah!
Maybe she and Jeneba can hit a pub and drown their sorrows together!!

ayalew is not old enough to drink, at age 19 she could possibly be around for a few olympics.

[DecFan]

ayalew is not old enough to drink, at age 19 she could possibly be around for a few olympics.

This is Britain, not the US . . .

[j-a-m]

She will be now, you can bet on it

Yeah, why was it even a question in the first place whether Dibaba would double?

[EPelle]

60-point final lap for Dibaba in her qualifying round (14.58). Was a three-person pack of Dibaba, Kibiwot and Defar with no one else close in contention in this heat.

[andyjgt]

Had to point out to Nevets that back in 13th, Grovdal actually ran a PB (by .54s)!

[nevetsllim]

Had to point out to Nevets that back in 13th, Grovdal actually ran a PB (by .54s)!

I don't think I've ever said I was a Grovdal fan! I took a bit of interest in her back in 2007 and to be honest, I didn't even realise she was racing here!

[j-a-m]

60-point final lap for Dibaba in her qualifying round (14.58). Was a three-person pack of Dibaba, Kibiwot and Defar with no one else close in contention in this heat.

Didn't matter in order to advance, so guess wanted to make a statement there?

[EPelle]

They sure made the second heat WORK. Nice job by Huddle taking control of that race; Bleasdale and Pavey benefited by the honest pace.

[aaronk]

Well, two more American qualifiers (Huddle and Culley) and one PR (Conley) which wasn't too far back!

The American distance running renaissance continues!!

Way to go, Molly, Julie, and Kim!!

[Master Po]

60-point final lap for Dibaba in her qualifying round (14.58). Was a three-person pack of Dibaba, Kibiwot and Defar with no one else close in contention in this heat.

Didn't matter in order to advance, so guess wanted to make a statement there?

A little impromptu speed session & preview of the final!

I know the final will be a blazing Ethiopia-Kenya dual meet, but a few notes on some others:

Pavey is of course some years away from her best (14:39 in 2006, last sub-15 in 2008) but she ran well here, and maybe has another sub-15 in her for the final. (She looked like she was working very hard for that 15:02, however.)

8+ second PB for Bleasdale -- first time under 15:10. Looked comfortable enough, so perhaps a sub-15:00 is possible.

That was Huddle's best 5k since her breakout year in 2010. I hope she has more, and can go sub-15 in the final.

8+ sec PB for Julie Culley. As w Bleasdale, first time under 15:10. Also appeared to be reasonably strong today.

Finally, even though Kim Conley didn't advance, credit to her for hanging with the lead group til 600 to go and earning a 5+ sec PB. She came into 2012 w 15:38 PB, so she's had a great season.

I hope all these finalists do well, and can't wait to see Dibaba, Defar & the Kenyans go at it!

[Randy Treadway]

60-point final lap for Dibaba in her qualifying round (14.58). Was a three-person pack of Dibaba, Kibiwot and Defar with no one else close in contention in this heat.

Didn't matter in order to advance, so guess wanted to make a statement there?

After what happened in the men's 10K and coaches' heads on the chopping block, I'll bet both the Ethiopians and the Kenyans have been given the same orders- NO MORE SITTING BACK AND TAKING STUPID RISKS!!!!!
Look for the same thing in the final, and the same thing in the men's 5K.

[Conor Dary]

Well, two more American qualifiers (Huddle and Culley) and one PR (Conley) which wasn't too far back!

The American distance running renaissance continues!!

Since Flanagan got bronze in the 10 last time, I wouldn't call it that. It is hardly the same as the men, who have a lot more East Africans to deal with than the US women.

[Master Po]

I know that no other data is really needed to demonstrate the superiority of the Ethiopian and Kenyan athletes in this event, however, it is perhaps worth noting that none of the six Kenyan and Ethiopian athletes needed to run a SB (much less a PB) to advance to the final, whereas of the other 9 finalists, 7 had to run PBs to advance, and the other two (Pavey, Huddle) had to run SBs. As if the talent gap weren't already clear, perhaps more than in any other distance event in this OG (well, I guess there is Rudisha and history ), this is really two distinct races. I do hope that some of the others -- e.g., the USA & GBR athletes, for my preferences -- can make this event their own in some way that earns them PB or SB times, and gets them in the top 8 (or perhaps 5th or 6th even, if one of the "lesser" Kenyans or Ethiopians breaks, as sometimes happens).

[CookyMonzta]

Ayalew must love this!

Indeed -- too bad for her. I'm guessing she knew this was a possibility. (And I'm guessing that it doesn't feel good in any case.)

Yeah!
Maybe she and Jeneba can hit a pub and drown their sorrows together!!

ayalew is not old enough to drink, at age 19 she could possibly be around for a few olympics.

Oh? What's the legal drinking age in the U.K.?

[lapsus]

I know that no other data is really needed to demonstrate the superiority of the Ethiopian and Kenyan athletes in this event, however, it is perhaps worth noting that none of the six Kenyan and Ethiopian athletes needed to run a SB (much less a PB) to advance to the final, whereas of the other 9 finalists, 7 had to run PBs to advance, and the other two (Pavey, Huddle) had to run SBs. As if the talent gap weren't already clear, perhaps more than in any other distance event in this OG (well, I guess there is Rudisha and history ), this is really two distinct races. I do hope that some of the others -- e.g., the USA & GBR athletes, for my preferences -- can make this event their own in some way that earns them PB or SB times, and gets them in the top 8 (or perhaps 5th or 6th even, if one of the "lesser" Kenyans or Ethiopians breaks, as sometimes happens).

Dunno, I think any talent gap (if you mean something innate) is exaggerated by this year's unusually poor standard. I don't have any statistics, but it at least feels like every year except this one there have been several non-Ethiopian and non-Kenyan runners running 14:35 to 14:50ish times.

[EPelle]

Outdoors -- last year only had two; 2010: five (including East African transplants); 2009: two; 2008: four; etc.
http://www.trackandfieldnews.com/index. ... women-list

[Master Po]

I know that no other data is really needed to demonstrate the superiority of the Ethiopian and Kenyan athletes in this event, however, it is perhaps worth noting that none of the six Kenyan and Ethiopian athletes needed to run a SB (much less a PB) to advance to the final, whereas of the other 9 finalists, 7 had to run PBs to advance, and the other two (Pavey, Huddle) had to run SBs. As if the talent gap weren't already clear, perhaps more than in any other distance event in this OG (well, I guess there is Rudisha and history ), this is really two distinct races. I do hope that some of the others -- e.g., the USA & GBR athletes, for my preferences -- can make this event their own in some way that earns them PB or SB times, and gets them in the top 8 (or perhaps 5th or 6th even, if one of the "lesser" Kenyans or Ethiopians breaks, as sometimes happens).

Dunno, I think any talent gap (if you mean something innate) is exaggerated by this year's unusually poor standard. I don't have any statistics, but it at least feels like every year except this one there have been several non-Ethiopian and non-Kenyan runners running 14:35 to 14:50ish times.

Didn't mean anything innate, or otherwise beyond what's actually in this final, which looks to me to be six really superior Ethiopians & Kenyans, and nine other excellent of course (no offense to anyone! ) athletes, but nowhere near the level of those top six.

[Powell]

Oh? What's the legal drinking age in the U.K.?

18, like pretty much everywhere in the western world. The drinking age in the US is an anomaly in global terms:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Legal_drinking_age

[mump boy]

I just don't understand the mentality of these runners. They know they have absolutely no chance to outsprint Dibaba, Defar or Cheruiyiot but they are all perfectly happy to just dawdle round and play into their hands

Why wouldn't anyone just give it a go ? lead the pace out fast and hope others join in, i just don't see the point in being in an OG final, going for a jog and getting nothing out of it at all

[j-a-m]

group of five entering last lap

[EPelle]

W-Final
Jo Pavey out to an immediate lead.
Unoffical splits unless underlined
1.13 Pavey
2.29 Pavey
3.07,58 Pavey
3.45 Pavey
4.58 Romagnolo
6.17,35 Romagnolo
7.33 Romagnolo
8.50 Romagnolo
9.27,75 Pavey
10.05 Pavey (Dibaba moves up to 2nd)
11.15 Dibaba
12.24,81 Dibaba
13.31 Dibaba
14.34 Dibaba (Defar on shoulder)
Defar overtakes Dibaba on homestretch. Cheruiyot finishes 2nd.
15.04,26 Defar

[mump boy]

Parochial but i am so pleased with the way Jo and Julie ran in these games 7th and 8th in both 5k and 10k is amazing especially from Jo who is 38 and was training for the marathon until the end of April

[DrJay]

Ethiopia/Kenya/Ethiopia/Kenya/Ethiopia/Kenya.....now the distance world is back in its proper order....

[aaronk]

The SportLemon link to the BBC fizzled out just before the start of the race......DAMN!!!!!!! .........but I got it back in time to see the results posted!!

Looks like all I missed seeing was a few neighborhood gals out for a lesiurely stroll....with iPods and water bottles and chatter about their upcoming divorces......while somewhere REAL TRACK FANS were waiting.........IN VAIN.......for them to turn this FARCE into a RACE!!!!!

If I'd paid for this....I'd DEMAND my money back!!!!
(And a few extra bucks for some Extra-Strength Tylenol!!!!)