Hagos Gebrhiwet produced a sensational performance at the Wanda Diamond League meeting in Oslo, delivering one of the year’s biggest surprises by winning the men’s 5000m in 12:36.73 yesterday.
The Bislett Games witnessed three meeting records and five world-leading times on an enthralling night of athletics action, just two months away from the Paris Olympic Games.
Entering the men’s 5000m, much of the attention was on world record-holder and Olympic champion Joshua Cheptegei, two-time world cross-country champion Jacob Kiplimo, and last year’s Bislett Games winner Yomif Kejelcha.
However, Gebrhiwet, who achieved his first sub-13-minute run on this track as a teenager in 2012, made sure his name won’t be forgotten in the lead-up to the Olympics.
The early pace was strong but not exceptional, with the field paced through the first 1000m in 2:33.13 and 2000m in 5:07.05. Addisu Yihune maintained that tempo through 3000m, reached in 7:41.05, with all the major contenders still in contention.
Kejelcha took control soon after, winding up the pace. Gebrhiwet stayed close to his fellow Ethiopian, with the Ugandan duo Kiplimo and Cheptegei close behind as 4000m was reached in 10:11.86, the previous kilometre being covered in 2:30.
Cheptegei began to fade, unable to hold on any longer. Kejelcha continued to drive the pace, but Gebrhiwet and Kiplimo remained undeterred despite the increase in speed. As the bell sounded, Gebrhiwet made his move, surging into the lead and kicking past his compatriot, pulling away with each stride.
With a final lap of 54.99, Gebrhiwet crossed the finish line in 12:36.73, winning by more than two seconds from Kejelcha (12:38.95). This race marked the first time in history that two men have broken 12:40 in the same race.
Gebrhiwet’s winning time is just 1.37 seconds shy of Cheptegei’s world record set in 2020, placing him second on the world all-time list and ahead of Kenenisa Bekele, whose Ethiopian record he broke.
Kiplimo held on for third, setting a personal best of 12:40.96, while Spain’s Thierry Ndikumwenayo (12:48.10) and Yihune (12:49.65) also finished inside 12:50. It was only the second time in history that 13 men have broken 13 minutes in a race.
Along with Gebrhiwet, there were national records for Guatemala’s Luis Grijalva (12:50.58), Switzerland’s Dominic Lokinyomo Lobalu (12:50.90), Sweden’s Andreas Almgren (12:50.94), France’s Jimmy Gressier (12:54.97), and South Africa’s Adriaan Wildschutt (12:56.67).
“I’m really happy with my time,” said Gebrhiwet, the world road 5km champion. “I set a PB when I first ran in Oslo, and now it’s even better. The conditions and the crowd were great. It was a very fast race and it wasn’t easy for me, but it went very well. I’ll now try to qualify for the Olympics in the 10,000m too.”
In addition to Gebrhiwet’s standout performance, there were notable achievements in other endurance events at the Bislett Games.
Australia’s Georgia Griffith continued her breakthrough year by winning the 3000m in an Oceanian record of 8:24.20. The field had been paced through 1000m in 2:50.34, maintaining that pace through 2000m in 5:40.73. Over the final kilometre, the field became more strung out as the pace increased.
Griffith made a decisive move in the closing stages, and although Ethiopia’s Likina Amebaw tried to challenge, Griffith secured the victory with a meeting record of 8:24.20, just 0.09 seconds ahead of Amebaw in a race where the top six women finished inside 8:30.
In the closing event of the night, Olympic champion Jakob Ingebrigtsen thrilled the home crowd with a dramatic victory in the men’s 1500m. Controlling the pace in the second half, Ingebrigtsen faced a fierce challenge from 2019 world champion Timothy Cheruiyot on the final lap.
The Kenyan appeared to have timed his kick perfectly, but Ingebrigtsen’s dive at the finish line secured the win in a world-leading 3:29.74, just 0.03 seconds ahead of Cheruiyot. The first 11 finishers all set either season or personal bests.
South Africa’s Prudence Sekgodiso demonstrated her recent win in Marrakesh was no fluke by triumphing in the women’s 800m. The 22-year-old had a comfortable lead with 200 meters to go, and despite a fast finish from Natoya Goule-Toppin, Sekgodiso held on to win in 1:58.66.
The Wanda Diamond League meeting in Oslo was a night to remember, filled with record-breaking performances and thrilling finishes, setting the stage for an exciting lead-up to the Paris Olympic Games.
Photo: World Athletics
