For Kenya, the race brought both promise and pain. Ishmael Rokitto Kipkurui (4th) and Edwin Kurgat (7th) showed grit in a tightly bunched finish but ultimately fell short of the podium.
Frenchman Jimmy Gressier produced a blistering final kick to edge Ethiopian star Yomif Kejelcha on the line and claim gold in the men’s 10,000m final at the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo on Sunday.
The victory marks Gressier’s first global title, ending the dominance of Uganda’s Joshua Cheptegei, who had ruled the distance since 2019 but stepped out of track to focus on the marathon.
Cheptegei’s absence opened the door for a new champion, and Gressier seized the opportunity, storming past Kejelcha in the final 50 meters after a cagey 24-lap race that kept 15 men in contention until the bell.
Sweden’s Andreas Almgren finished strongly for bronze, while Ethiopia’s Selemon Barega, a former Olympic champion, faded to sixth.
The men’s 10,000m has a rich history, dating back to the inaugural World Championships in 1983 (Helsinki). Only three Kenyans have ever won the crown—Paul Kipkoech (1987), Moses Tanui (1991), and Charles Kamathi (2001). Since Kamathi’s triumph in Edmonton, Kenya has endured a 24-year drought as the title has oscillated between Ethiopians and Ugandans.
For Kenya, the race brought both promise and pain. Ishmael Rokitto Kipkurui (4th) and Edwin Kurgat (7th) showed grit in a tightly bunched finish but ultimately fell short of the podium.
Results – Men’s 10,000m Final
- Jimmy Gressier (FRA) – 28:55.77 (SB)
- Yomif Kejelcha (ETH) – 28:55.83 (SB)
- Andreas Almgren (SWE) – 28:56.02
- Ishmael Rokitto Kipkurui (KEN) – 28:56.48
- Nico Young (USA) – 28:56.62 (SB)
- Selemon Barega (ETH) – 28:57.21
- Edwin Kurgat (KEN) – 28:57.83
- Grant Fisher (USA) – 28:57.85 (SB)
- Thierry Ndikumwenayo (ESP) – 28:59.07 (SB)
- Adriaan Wildschutt (RSA) – 28:59.47