London, UK – Tirunesh Dibaba of Ethiopia won her third Olympic gold medal Friday at the London Games, easily defending her title in the women’s 10,000 meters.
The distance race closed out the first day of track and field action at Olympic Stadium and Dibaba ended the night in style.
The winner of both the 5,000 and 10,000 four years ago in Beijing, the four- time Olympic medalist kicked into high gear with over a lap to go and completed the race in 30 minutes, 20.75 seconds — 5.62 seconds before Kenyan Sally Jepkosgei Kipyego crossed the finish line.
Kipyego’s compatriot Vivian Jepkemoi Cheruiyot won bronze with a time of 30:30.44.
Ethiopians Werknesh Kidane and Beleynesh Oljira helped set the pace for Dibaba and finished fourth and fifth, respectively.
Amy Hastings had the best time of three Americans in the race but finished in 11th place, 49.94 seconds behind Dibaba.
I just cried looking that amazing sprint finish. Congratulations and hope God blessing you and everybody of your family.
We are all proud of you. You are the only patriotic girl at this right time when patriotism is in the verge of vanishing in Ethiopia.
She did history in London .. hoping she will double gold smae 5000 ….
HI Editor
congratulation for all of us . I thank my sister for her outstanding performance and I also thank worknesh for her team work as she did in 2004 Olympic.
What an amazing sprint finish by Tiruye !! She is a woman of action not only words like her rivals.
Like Never before, nor this time arround and not even in the near future there will be any one who equals Tirunesh. Vivian has to ask asylum in England if she doesn’t want to face the wrath of Kenyans for inflating and equating herself with the real long distance queen of the world.
Truye I have no words for you . You are unbelievable. Thank you for making us proud. God bless you.