Beatrice Chebet (born 5 March 2000) is a Kenyan long-distance runner who is the world record holder in the 10,000 m. Chebet won the gold medal at the 2024 Summer Olympics in the 5000 m and 10,000 m races, becoming the third woman in history to win both events at the same Olympic games. In 2022, Chebet won gold medals in the 5000 m at the Commonwealth Games, African Championships, and Diamond League, and a silver medal in the 5000 m at the World Championships. Chebet also won gold medals at the 2023 and 2024 World Cross Country Championships.[2]
Chebet at the 2022 World Championships in Eugene | |
Personal information | |
---|---|
Born | Kericho, Kenya | 5 March 2000
Height | 1.52 m (5 ft 0 in)[1] |
Sport | |
Country | Kenya |
Sport | Track and field |
Event | Long-distance running |
Achievements and titles | |
Highest world ranking | 1st (5000 m, 2023) |
Medal record |
Chebet won gold medals in the 5000 m at the 2018 IAAF World U20 Championships and the Junior women section of the 2019 World Cross Country Championships. She is nicknamed the smiling assassin.
Career
editBeatrice Chebet was born on 5 March 2000, the daughter of Francis and Lilian Kirui.[3][4] While at primary school, she raced in 5000 m events,[4] and went on to attend Saramek Secondary School, Londiani, graduating from there in 2013.[4] She joined the Lemotit Athletics Club in November 2016.[4]
In June 2018, at the age of 18, Chebet won the Kenyan Under-20s 5000 metres. A month later at Tampere 2018, she became the first Kenyan woman and the first non-Ethiopian since 2006 to win the 5000 m title at the World U20 Championships in Athletics.[5]
At the 2019 World Cross Country Championships, the top three athletes in the women's U20 race – Chebet and the Ethiopian duo of Alemitu Tariku and Tsigie Gebreselama – were all awarded the time of 20:50 as they finished together. Tariku was initially announced as the winner, with Gebreselama awarded silver. However, after the photo finish footage was reviewed Chebet received the gold medal.[6] Also 2019, she won the Kenyan U20 National Cross Country Championships.[7]
Her best success of 2022 came in July at the World Championships in Eugene, Oregon, where she claimed the silver medal for the closely-run 5000 m race with a time of 14:46.75 behind Gudaf Tsegay in 14:46.29 and ahead of Dawit Seyaum (14:47.36).[8]
At the 2024 Prefontaine Classic, Chebet broke Letesenbet Gidey's 10,000 metres world record of 29:01.03, running a time of 28:54.14 to become the first woman to break the 29 minute barrier. The race was originally billed as a world record attempt by Gudaf Tsegay. Chebet attached herself to Tsegay throughout the twenty five lap race, but as Tsegay faded from world record pace nearing the end, Chebet surged with three laps to go to catch up with the world record wavelights and went on to break the record.[9]
At the 2024 Paris Olympics, Chebet won an Olympic gold medal in the women's 5000 metres, finishing with a time of 14:28.56, beating defending champion Sifan Hassan, reigning world champion Faith Kipyegon, and world record holder Gudaf Tsegay in a highly anticipated race. Chebet stayed in the pack for much of the race, but as Kipyegon made a surge to the front, Chebet followed, out-kicking Kipyegon in the final hundred metres to become the Olympic Champion.[10][11]
Chebet trains in Londiani, Kericho County.[7]
Achievements
editInternational competitions
editYear | Competition | Venue | Position | Event | Result |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
2017 | World U18 Championships | Nairobi, Kenya | 4th | 3000 m | 9:33.26 |
2018 | World U20 Championships | Tampere, Finland | 1st | 5000 m | 15:30.77 PB |
2019 | World Cross Country Championships | Aarhus, Denmark | 1st | Junior race | 20:50 |
2nd | Junior team | 26 pts | |||
African U20 Championships | Abidjan, Ivory Coast | 1st | 5000 m | 16:02.66 | |
2022 | World Indoor Championships | Belgrade, Serbia | 10th | 3000 m | 8:47.50 |
African Championships | Saint Pierre, Mauritius | 1st | 5000 m | 15:00.82 | |
World Championships | Eugene, United States | 2nd | 5000 m | 14:46.75 SB | |
Commonwealth Games | Birmingham, United Kingdom | 1st | 5000 m | 14:38.21 SB | |
2023 | World Cross Country Championships | Bathurst, Australia | 1st | Senior race | 33:48 |
1st | Team | 16 pts | |||
World Championships | Budapest, Hungary | 3rd | 5000 m | 14:54.33 | |
2024 | Olympics Games | Paris, France | 1st | 5000 m | 14:28.56 |
Circuit wins and titles, National titles
edit- Diamond League champion 5000 m:
2022[12]
- 2021: Doha Diamond League (3000 m WL PB)
- 2022: Zürich Weltklasse (5 km PB)
- World Athletics Cross Country Tour
- Kenyan Athletics Championships
- 5000 metres: 2022
Personal bests
editType | Event | Time (m:s) | Venue | Date |
---|---|---|---|---|
Track | 3000 metres | 8:25.01 | Oslo, Norway | 15 June 2023 |
3000 metres indoor | 8:37.06 | Madrid, Spain | 24 February 2021 | |
5000 metres | 14:05.92 | Eugene, United States | 17 September 2023 | |
10,000 metres | 28:54.14 WR | Eugene, United States | 25 May 2024 | |
Road | 5 km | 14:32 | Zürich, Switzerland | 7 September 2022 |
10 km | 32:52 | Eldoret, Kenya | 24 November 2019 |
References
edit- ^ "CHEBET Beatrice | Paris 2024". olympics.com. Retrieved 6 August 2024.
- ^ "Beatrice Chebet And Jacob Kiplimo Crowned Back-To-Back Winners At World Cross Country Championships". 30 March 2024. Retrieved 1 April 2024.
- ^ "Beatrice Chebet – Athlete profile". World Athletics. Archived from the original on 12 August 2022. Retrieved 1 January 2021.
- ^ a b c d "Beatrice Chebet: How granny helped launch her athletics career". Daily Nation. 9 August 2023. Archived from the original on 9 August 2023.
- ^ Mills, Steven (10 July 2018). "Report: women's 5000m – IAAF World U20 Championships Tampere 2018". IAAF Website. Archived from the original on 10 April 2019. Retrieved 19 July 2019.
- ^ Crumley, Euan (30 March 2019). "Beatrice Chebet takes World Cross U20 gold after dramatic ending". Athletics Weekly. Archived from the original on 19 July 2019. Retrieved 10 July 2019.
- ^ a b Rotich, Bernard (23 February 2019). "Beatrice Chebet wins U-20 National X-Country title". The Daily Nation (Kenya). Archived from the original on 19 July 2019.
- ^ "Gudaf Tsegay Closes in 59.95 To Win Her 1st World Title In Women's 5000". LetsRun.com. 23 July 2022. Archived from the original on 6 September 2022. Retrieved 24 August 2022.
- ^ "Beatrice Chebet Breaks 10,000 Meter World Record At Prefontaine Classic". 25 May 2024. Retrieved 31 May 2024.
- ^ de Villiers, Ockert (5 August 2024). "Paris 2024 Athletics: Kenya's Beatrice Chebet Wins Maiden Women's 5,000m Title".
- ^ NBC Sports (5 August 2024). Beatrice Chebet OWNS the home stretch to win women's 5000m | Paris Olympics | NBC Sports. Retrieved 6 August 2024 – via YouTube.
- ^ Gault, Jonathan; Johnson, Robert (7 September 2022). "2022 DL Final Day 1: Kenyans Nicholas Kipkorir & Beatrice Chebet Kick to 5K Wins as Kovacs Moves to #2 All-Time". LetsRun.com. Archived from the original on 7 September 2022. Retrieved 7 September 2022.