Ayana produced a startling run at the Olympic Stadium to storm home in 29 minutes 17.45 seconds, taking more than 14 seconds off the mark set by China’s Wang Junxia in 1993.
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No sooner had Ayana stepped off the track than 12th-placed Swedish rival Sarah Lahti accused her of doping and others questioned how a victory of such magnitude could be possible.
In just her second 10km on the track, Ayana joined the list of legendary distance runners from her homeland like men’s 10km record holder Kenenisa Bekele and two-time 10km gold medallist Haile Gebrselassie as an Ethiopian great. “Otherwise, I’m crystal clean”, Ayana said.
But organizing committee spokesman Mario Andrada said “We’re not disappointed because we understand that without local heroes and local athletes, some of the local public takes longer to fall in love with track and field”. The first 13 finishers ran the fastest race of their life.
Kenya’s world champion Vivian Cheruiyot improved on her bronze medal from 2012 in London with a silver this time – crossing the finishing line in a new personal best and national record of 29:32.53. She finished in 29 minutes, 17.45 seconds, a full 15 seconds ahead of Cheruiyot Vivian Jepkemoi from Kenya, a rub-your-eyes time that’s ripe for celebration and skepticism.
In June she registered the fastest 10,000m debut in history with 30:07.00 at the Ethiopian Olympic trials. The last Usa woman to win and Olympic 10,000m medal, 2008 bronze medalist Shalane Flanagan, will run the marathon in Rio. Cheruiyot’s second place was also under no threat since she had opened a big gap between her and compatriot Alice Aprot-who finished fourth-and Ethiopian veteran Tirunesh Dibaba who claimed bronze.
The IAAF – the sport’s governing body- are still investigating evidence that emerged earlier this year that Wang, who still holds the 3,000m world record, admitted in a letter in 1995 that she was part of a state-sponsored doping system.
That clearance left this 30-year-old mother-of-one jumping up and down on the landing mat with a thrilled smile on her face, for all the world like a kid on a bouncy castle.
Aside from Ayana’s record-setting time, the race saw three more of the five fastest women’s 10k times ever.
“I have worked very hard”. That done, Almaz Ayana can start thinking about her best event. She joined Debbie Meyer as the only women to sweep the 200, 400 and 800 freestyle races at the same Olympics. “I just wanted to run relaxed, the first 500m, and knew if I didn’t give them too much of a jump, I could close as quick as anyone”. She called it “a dream come true”.
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“Things that you thought were impossible, were out of reach and would never be broken and then all of a sudden they are broken by the length of a straight”.
