It seems like black women are making headlines at this year’s Olympic games in Rio. We informed you yesterday about Simone Manuel’s new swimming world record (details HERE) and now another Black woman from Ethiopia has broken yet another world record.
Ethiopian distance runner, Almaz Ayana, has broken the 23-year old world record for the 10,000m race at the #RioOlympics2016. The 24-year-old smashed one of the longest-held records in athletics as she romped to victory in an electrifying start to the Rio Olympics track and field competition. She left her rivals trailing as she finished in 29min 17.45sec, about 14 seconds away from the previous world best of 29:31.78 set by China’s Wang Junxia in 1993. She also beat her personal best by 43 seconds.
Yahoo reports that Ayana’s astounding display immediately raised eyebrows in the athletics world, with British women’s marathon world record holder Paula Radcliffe one of the first to remark upon the Ethiopian’s performance.
“I’m not sure I can understand that,” Radcliffe said. “When I saw the world record set in 1993 I couldn’t believe what I was seeing. And Ayana has absolutely blitzed that time.”
Sweden’s Sarah Lahti, who finished 12th, more than two minutes behind, was also sceptical. “I do not really believe that she is 100 percent,” Lahti was quoted by Swedish media as saying, “There is doubt.”
Yet Ayana — who had only raced the 10,000m once before heading into the Olympics — smiled when asked to respond to suggestions that her performance might not be all that it seemed.
“I praise the lord, the lord gives me everything,” she said through an interpreter. “My doping is my training, my doping is Jesus — otherwise I’m crystal clear.”
Ayana said she had not planned to set a world record heading into the race.
“It’s amazing — I saw the record after the race, my only plan was to win the race.”
Vivian Cheruiyot of Kenya, was almost 15 seconds adrift, taking silver in 29:32.53 and Ethiopia’s Tirunesh Dibaba was third in 29:42.56.
Congratulations to Ayana 🙂
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