Preview of the women's
10,000m
K.Ken Nakamura
28 September 2000 - The 1999 World Championships 10,000m was possibly the greatest women's race in the event's history, but the upcoming Olympic final may prove to be even better.
As expensive an Olympic ticket may be, especially for the final day of the track and field, this race alone would make it worthwhile. The field is loaded with many of the best 10,000m runners in history: 1999 World Champion Gete Wami, 1998 European Champion Sonia O'Sullivan, 1997 World Champion Sally Barsosio, 1996 Olympic Champion Fernanda Ribeiro, and 1992 Olympic Champion Derartu Tulu will all be competing for the gold medal.
Although the field is loaded with past champions, the person who will play a key role in determining how the race evolves is Great Britain's Paula Radcliffe. In the 1999 World Championships in Sevilla, Radcliffe forced the pace almost from the start, with Wami and Tegla Loroupe in tow. Will she repeat the same tactics in Sydney, but faster?
The 10,000m race for women made its debut at the championships level in the 1986 Commonwealth Games in Edinburgh, and several different tactics/strategy have been employed by medal contenders over the years.
At both the 1986 European Championships and the 1987 World Championships, Ingrid Kristiansen, the dominating distance runner of her era, pushed the pace from the start and ran away from the field early. However, this is not a likely scenario in the Sydney Olympics because currently nobody dominates an event like Kristiansen did then. Even if someone pushed the pace from the start, as Paula Radcliffe has done in Sevilla last year, someone will stay with her, as Gete Wami and Tegla Loroupe did in Seville.
Paula Radcliffe has been a top distance runner since the mid-90's. However, up until 1999 she had never won a medal in the Olympics, Worlds, or Europeans. She was fifth at the 5000m in both the 1995 World Championships, and 1996 Olympics. She also finished fourth at the 5000m in the1997 World Championships, and fifth at the 10,000m in the 1998 European Championships. Her problem lies in not having enough left over for the finishing sprint at the end of the race.
In the 1999 World Championships in Sevilla, Radcliffe forced the pace from the start and she was rewarded with a silver medal. But in the Olympic 10,000m, Radcliffe will have to deal with four runners with renowned finishing sprints: Sonia O'Sullivan, Gete Wami, Derartu Tulu and Harumi Hiroyama.
O'Sullivan is perhaps the best end-of-race sprinter. She won the 1998 European Championships 10,000m, her track debut at the distance, in 31:29.33 with incredible 28.1 final 200m. At the 1995 World Championships, O'Sullivan won the gold in the 5000m with 28.8 final 200m. In this Olympics she won the silver medal at the 5000m after final sprint duel against Gabriela Szabo.
Ethiopians are traditionally blessed with great finishing speed and Wami is no exception. In Sevilla, she covered the final 200m in 31.7 to win the 10,000m in the fifth fastest time in history, 30:24.56. The final 5000m was covered in 14:59.1, and Wami has improved her 5000m personal record to 14:30.88 this year.
Derartu Tulu also has a great finishing speed. At the 1992 Barcelona Olympics, she displayed her finishing sprint - 65.92 for the final 400m - which won her an Olympic gold medal. She is back on top form this year. After winning the World Cross Country Championships for the third time in March, she improved her 10,000m personal best to 30:56.4, for the first time since 1992.
Hiroyama's sprinting ability is also quite impressive. In 1997, she covered the final 200m in 30.4 on her way to winning the Japanese national championships in 31:22.72.
Besides Radcliffe, South Africa’s Elana Meyer, the 1992 Olympic silver medallist, and Fernanda Ribeiro (POR), 1996 Olympic Champion, may also push the pace. Sally Barsosio may throw in a mid-race surge, as she has did at the 1997 World Championships.
Elana Meyer, is another runner who might be interested in the fast pace. In Barcelona, Elana Meyer pushed the pace from 10 laps to go.
Ribeiro won the 10,000m at the 1994 European Championships, 1995 World Championships and 1996 Olympics. She ran the final 5000m of the 10,000m in 15:18.98 and 15:18.10 in Helsinki and Göteborg respectively. She can also sprint at the end of the race. She covered the final 200m in 31.2 and 31.0 seconds in Göteborg and Atlanta respectively.
But the Portuguese sensation’s reign at the top finally came to an end in 1997. In the 1997 World Championships, Sally Barsosio won the race by surging with three laps to go. She ran 67.89 lap, and followed it up with 69.46 to open decisive margin on Ribeiro.
For several athletes, the 10,000m will be their second event of the Olympics.
O'Sullivan is fresh off the silver medal performance in the 5000m where she set a 5000m personal best. Wami also ran the 5000m, winning a bronze medal. Tegla Loroupe qualified for the final of the 10000m three days after her 13th place finish in the marathon. Presumably O'Sullivan, and Wami are hoping for the slow race, where they can summon up their wicked kick for the end of the race.
Radcliffe may lead the race from the start in torrid pace. Three Ethiopians - Wami, Tulu and Adere, three Kenyans - Loroupe, Barsosio, and Timbilili, O'Sullivan, Ribeiro, Meyer and three Japanese - Kawakami, Hiroyama, and Chiemi Takahashi will be in hot pursuit.
Unlike Sevilla where it was a straight final, the 10,000m finalists in Sydney have had to run in a qualifying heats, and in Wami and O'Sullivan’s case, they have also had to contend with the 5000m heats and final. If Radcliffe is able to push the pace hard enough, she might just be able to run away from them.
