by Larry Eder
Stuart Weir wrote this piece on the women’s 5,000 meters, which was a fantastic battle. The crowd roared as Eilish McColgan, fresh from the 10,000m, took the silver with Beatrice Chebet flying down the straightaway, taking gold, and Selah Busieni taking the bronze.
A Kenyan triumph at 5K
The 5k was won by Beatrice Chebet, but there was a second medal for Eilish McColgan. Eilish led for most of the race with a group three – Eilish and the two Kenyans – having secured the medals long before the end. On the final lap, Chebet made a run for home. McColgan went with her but could not stay the pace, but she put daylight between herself and the second Kenyan. Behind the medalists, there were several excellent performances.
The race ended
1 Beatrice Chebet (Kenya) 14:38.21
2 Eilish McColgan (Scotland) 14:42.14
3 Selah Busienei (Kenya) 14:48.24
4 Amy-Eloise Markovc (England)
5 Dom Scott (South Africa)
6 Sarah Chelangat (Uganda)
7 Sarah Inglis (Scotland)
The winner summed up her tactics: “I realized I was still strong, and I knew the other two ladies were there. I knew I had a kick, so I tried to see if I could go and make it to be a champion. “A championship is a championship, and anyone can win. I went from 200m, and I realized that McColgan would not come after me, and I could win.”
Commonwealth Games, photo by Scottish Athletics
McColgan, who added 5K silver to her 10K gold, said: “I was so tired physically and mentally. I am so proud of myself. I led out 4800m of that race, and to still come and get a silver medal, I can’t ask for anymore. I knew they [her opponents] were fresh. Only a few of us were crazy enough to do both [5000 and 10,000m]. Honestly, it is a dream to get gold and silver.”
“It has been a rollercoaster of emotions. That was such a high for me on Wednesday night – and not just the energy of the 10k. It has been overwhelming. So many athletes and staff from all nations have been saying in the dining hall that they watched me and cheered me on that I started crying. Every time I go to the dining hall I am just crying all the time. Their support has been wild, and that is what drove me through today.”
For a popular athlete who has worked so hard and has sometimes not gotten the rewards she deserved, it was a great week. In October, she will run the London Marathon.
