Iness Chepkesis Chenonge of Kenya, Meseret Defar of Ethiopia and Vivian Cheruiyot of Kenya in the women's 5000m heats in Berlin (© Getty Images)
With 22 women across two heats chasing 15 places in Saturday's final it should always have been a straight forward qualification for the main medal contenders, and so it proved.
In heat one Ethiopia's Sentayehu Ejigu, who stands eighth on the 2009 World Lists, was too quick for her opponents over the last 200m to take the win in 15:17.64.
On her shoulder Sylvia Kibet of Kenya finished just 0.13 behind with World 10,000m silver medallist Meselech Melkamu, who is bidding to go one better in the 5000m, qualifying comfortably in third in 15:18.39. The other automatic qualifiers were Krisztina Papp of Hungary (15:19.90) and Portugal's Sara Moreira, the European Indoor 3000m silver medallist, in 15:19.93.
The Olympic 5000m silver medallist Elvan Abeylegesse was a non-starter (no great surprise after she failed to finish the 10,000m final on Saturday) in the heat and it was Yurika Nakamura of Japan who took the field through 2km in 6:12.64 before the Ethiopian duo Melkamu and Ejigu both took their turn to dictate the pace of the race.
However, Moreira would not let them have matters all their own way and it was the upright Portuguese who took over the lead with three laps to go. At the bell you could have thrown a blanket over the lead group of six, chasing five automatic positions.
Ejigu, Melkamu and Kibet quickly opened up a gap on the rest of the field but Papp and Moreira ensured some European interest in the final.
It was simply does it for the defending champion Meseret Defar, who set about trying to make up for the disappointment of finishing fifth in Saturday's 10,000m final to take victory in the second heat in 15:16.46.
Kenya's Vivian Cheruiyot, the woman who plundered the silver medal behind Defar at the last World Championships in Osaka, placed second in 15:16.59 with her compatriot Iness Chenonge taking third in 15:18.40. Genezebe Dibaba, the younger sister of Tirunesh Dibaba the absent two time former winner of this title, ensured a family presence in the final by finishing third in 15:19.66.
The European Indoor 3000m champion Alemitu Bekele of Turkey secured the fifth and final automatic qualifying position in 15:19.88.
Rumours had abound of Defar's non-participation following the rigours of competing in the 10,000m but thankfully she took to the start line.
The early pace was shared between Spain's Judith Pla and Italy's Silvia Weissteiner, the European Indoor 3000m bronze medallist, with the former going through 2km in 6:16.24.
Cheruiyot took her turn at the front at 3km (9:25.51) as the main bunch of 11 started to splinter. The next key move of the race came as the US championship runner-up Jen Rhines burst to the front with three laps to go to inject some extra pace into the heat.
At the bell, though, Cheruiyot had reclaimed first spot, heading a group of nine athletes still in contention for the five automatic places. However, somewhat predictably it was the African-born athletes who had too much pace for the rest around the final lap at the Olympic Stadium.
Rhines, who finished sixth in 15:20.20, was rewarded by picking up one of the fast loser spots in 15:20:20. Indeed, seventh through to ninth in this heat - Weisstiner (15:20.88), Yuriko Kobayashi of Japan (15:23.96) and Tanzania's Zakia Mrisho Mohamed (15:25.09) - also all advanced.
Nakamura (15:21.01) was the only athlete to qualify as a faster loser from the first heat.
Steve Landells for the IAAF
