BUDAPEST: Norwegian standout Jakob Ingebrigtsen retained his men’s 5,000m title on the final day of the World Athletics Championships here Sunday, while Victor Kiplangat of Uganda clinched the men’s marathon, reported Xinhua.
In the men’s 5,000m final, 22-year-old Ingebrigtsen made a powerful surge in the last 100m, finishing first with a season-best time of 13:11.30. He edged out Mohamed Katir of Spain by 0.14 seconds. Kenyan athlete Jacob Krop claimed the bronze with a time of 13:12.28.
“This title means a lot to me after losing again in the 1,500m. I haven’t been at my best but I had the motivation and great support,” said Ingebrigtsen, the 1,500m Olympic champion who previously secured two consecutive silvers in this distance at the World Championships.
“My body is just getting over a virus, so it’s not been a very good situation to be in,” Ingebrigtsen mentioned, noting he felt unwell during the initial days of the competition. “At the same time, I wanted to do my best. I had to be very patient but I really did not know what to expect from this race. I knew I needed to run a smart race. I’m really happy to defend my title in this way, especially that my final kick was enough this time.”
Earlier in the day, Kiplangat maintained strong momentum in the marathon’s final stages, winning the title in 2:08:53.
Despite several top contenders not participating in the Budapest race, Kiplangat kept pace side by side with Ethiopian runner Leul Gebresilase until the 33km mark. The 23-year-old Commonwealth Games victor then pulled ahead of Gebresilase and the rest, recording his third personal-best time of 2:08:53.
Maru Teferi of Israel outpaced Gebresilase in the closing meters, securing silver with a time of 2:09:12. Consequently, Gebresilase finished third, just seven seconds behind.
“The pace was high but I had more to give. It was tough but I always felt I had the power,” said Kiplangat, who is already eyeing the upcoming race in Paris. “Hopefully next year in Paris I will become Olympic champion too.”
In the tournament’s concluding event, newly-crowned 400m hurdles world champion Femke Bol steered the Netherlands to a win in the women’s 4x400m relay, marking this year’s world-leading time of 3:20.72.
Jamaica and Britain trailed, recording times of 3:20.88 and 3:21.04, respectively.
The US relay team achieved the year’s fastest time, winning the men’s 4x400m relay race in 2:57.31. This victory wrapped up their performance at the Championships with 29 medals, including 12 golds.
The French team secured silver in 2:58.45, while Britain clinched bronze in 2:58.71.
In other Sunday finals, India’s Olympic gold medallist Neeraj Chopra triumphed in the men’s javelin throw, registering a distance of 88.17m. Mary Moraa of Kenya clinched the women’s 800m race with her personal-best time of 1:56.03. Yaroslava Mahuchikh of Ukraine, an Olympic bronze medallist, won the women’s high jump, clearing 2.01m. Winfred Mutile Yavi earned the women’s 3,000m gold for Bahrain, finishing in 8:54.29.– BERNAMA-XINHUA
