Kenyan’s strong finish sees off rivals in 5000m while Laura Weightman and Eilish McColgan impress with PBs in Doha

It was the greatest mass championships 5000m in history and Hellen Obiri defended her title in style after leading most of the race but then showing incredible finishing speed and courage on the last lap.

Eilish McColgan made the early running at faster than her PB pace but at 1000m Obiri was ahead in 2:56.91. The Kenyan pushed ahead after a mile and the acceleration took her past 2000m in a slightly faster 5:52.48.

It was soon down to a nearly all-African 10 contenders but as they reached halfway in 7:18.27, the group began to split and six were away – three Kenyans, two Ethiopians and Germany’s Konstanze Klosterhalfen.

The 3000m time was a quick 8:44.37 and the six stayed together but Obiri slowed through 4000m in 11:45.06 but she was just gathering herself.

The penultimate lap was 68 seconds and Obiri kicked hard and only Klosterhalfen and Margaret Kipkemboi and Tsehay Gemechu could go with it.

Obiri covered the 100m from the bell in 14.64 and that finished off the Ethiopian and then a vicious 14.21 which held off the German and her team-mate but the duo still were on her shoulder.

On the bend she forged a small lead thanks to a 14.47 100m – she had covered the middle 200m of the lap in 28.68.

She could not quite keep that tempo going in the last 100m but did not need too and she won by five metres having covered the last 400m in 58.41 and the final 800m in 2:06 as she set a championships record.

Obiri, who faded away from a medal in the 10,000m, said: “It was not easy to run the record without pacemakers but I felt energy from the crowd and stayed focused and I worked hard to prove that Kenyan runners can win.”

Kipkemboi proved the stronger down the straight and was rewarded with a PB 14:27.49 while Klosterhalfen completed her first major 5000m in 14:28.43.

There were PBs for the next four with Gemechu (14:29.60), Lilian Rengeruk (14:36.05), Fantu Worku (14:40.47) and Britain’s Laura Weightman (14:44.57) all benefiting from Obiri’s work.

The Briton had along with McColgan dropped off the pace at 3000m, which she passed in 8:48, but they stayed in the chasing group and were through 4000m in 11:53.

Weightman won the battle of her group with McColgan at the back of the pack but still setting a PB and Scottish record of 14:46.17 for 10th place.

Weightman and McColgan now sit third and fourth on the all-time lists behind Paula Radcliffe and Jo Pavey.

Weightman said: “I’m not in 14:20 shape but I believe I am in 14:35 to 40 shape so I would have liked to have been a little bit closer. But it’s a big PB so it’s okay. It’s a lot of progress and after my injury I’m really happy.”

She added: “When the gap was made I couldn’t cover it. There’s a lot more to come and in my first global 5000m championships to come seventh I am delighted.”

Laura Weightman sets high standards for herself. She tells @Jason_AW she is disappointed with 14:44 for 7th in the world 5000m final. #WorldAthleticsChamps pic.twitter.com/mwxgw1cAF5

— AW (@AthleticsWeekly) October 5, 2019

McColgan said: “I had it in my mind that I wanted to run low 14:40s or just sneak under. I knew from training that I was in great shape but it is not easy going out and setting the pace for everyone.

“I am a little disappointed because I feel there is more there and I am in much better shape than when I ran 14:47s but it is still a PB and a Scottish record.”

Eilish McColgan chats to @Jason_AW about her Scottish record for 5000m and why she wanted more. #WorldAthleticsChamps pic.twitter.com/heDgIwt7rj

— AW (@AthleticsWeekly) October 5, 2019

Venezuelan successfully defends her world title with big jump in Doha as Olympic champion Ibarguen is third

Yulimar Rojas came into Doha as defending champion and with a huge 15.41m jump – the second-best in history – under her belt from earlier this season.

The Venezuelan sealed the title in emphatic style, too, with 15.37m (-0.6) in the second round from Shanieka Ricketts, the Jamaican jumping 14.92m, and Caterine Ibarguen of Colombia with 14.73m.

Rojas struggled with injury last year as Ibarguen took 2018 Diamond League titles in the triple jump and long jump.

But this year it was Olympic champion Ibarguen’s turn to have problems as she had surgery on her foot for plantar fasciitis in the middle of the summer.

Ibarguen, who has also won two world titles in the past, was not making excuses, though. “I’m grateful for being here and competing in the world champs,” the 35-year-old said. “And I’m happy to get to the podium. After the operation I had a good recovery and I congratulate my colleagues here.”

Rojas, 23, said: “I’m really happy to win this medal. This is the best thing that ever happened to me. I worked really hard and I’m happy to make this historical win in the world champs.”

On challenging Inessa Kravets’ long-standing world record of 15.55m, Rojas added: “The world record as I always say is something I want to achieve. I was close this year but I’m still young and have a long way ahead and will work next year to try to achieve it.”

10,000m champion completes an unprecedented double with championships record while Laura Muir finishes fifth

The dust may still be settling on the Khalifa Stadium track. 

Unpredictability goes with the territory when it comes to 1500m racing but no-one expected Sifan Hassan to do this. 

The Dutchwoman, already with the world 10,000m gold medal tucked safely away, stunned onlookers – and her opponents – when she hit the front of the 1500m final after around 300m and jammed on the accelerator. 

The 26-year-old has found herself in the eye of a storm this week due to her links with disgraced coach Alberto Salazar but running incredibly quickly was all that appeared to be on her mind on the penultimate night of these IAAF World Championships as she scorched away from the chasing pack to clock a time of 3:51.95 which shredded almost seven seconds off the championships record of 3:58.52 set by Russia’s Tatyana Tomashova in 2003.

Eight women in total ran faster than that mark, in fact, as defending champion Faith Kipyegon set a Kenyan record with 3:54.22 for second place, with Ethiopia’s Gudaf Tsegay clocking a personal best 3:54.38 in third. The winning margin was the biggest in world championships history.

Shelby Houlihan’s North American record of 3:54.99 was only good enough for fourth, while Britain’s Laura Muir could not have given more off the back her calf injury to run 3:55.76, only narrowly outside her British record of 3:55.22, in fifth place. The Scot’s training partner Gabriela Debues-Stafford set a Canadian record in sixth with 3:56.12.

“Fifth with 3:55!” said Muir after recording the second-fastest time of her career. “I couldn’t do any more than that!

“I’m actually really, really happy. I know it’s not a medal which is what I would have wanted but to run 3:55 … and to be fifth – well that’s unheard of! I am proud of myself to run that sort of time off the training that I have done.

“I never thought I was in that sort of shape. So yes to do that off that training gives me confidence to know that, when 100%, well how fast can I go?

“A couple of months ago I didn’t know if I was going to be here. I didn’t know if I was going to get to the final. So to run 3:55 with three races in my legs, well I’m speechless that that’s not on the podium. But I couldn’t have done anything more, I ran my heart out.”

Debues-Stafford had led out over the early stages but Hassan made her intentions clear after three quarters of the opening lap, moving to the front to take charge and at the head of affairs through 400m in 1:03.51. 

The pace went up, 800m being reached in 2:05.92 as the group tried to adjust, and Muir moved up from her early spot at the back of the pack into second place alongside Kipyegon and Tsegay with around 500m to go. The bell sounded at 2:52.61 and it became a straight burn up for the line, but Hassan extended her stride length and her lead with a sub-60 last lap to complete an unprecedented IAAF World Championships double of 1500m and 10,000m.

Laura Muir happy with her 3:55.76 for 5th in the red-hot world 1500m final in Doha after an injury-hit build-up. #WorldAthleticsChamps pic.twitter.com/vwHO95Y6kY

— AW (@AthleticsWeekly) October 5, 2019

“This is amazing for me,” she said. “This is such an honour. I’m showing what you can do with hard work. It was amazing when I crossed the line and I saw that time. I was so happy.”

After the past few days, which have seen her without a coach following Salazar’s ban, she added: “It was a hard week for me. I was just so angry with what people were saying. I’ve worked so hard to be on top over the years.

“I felt very good after the 10,000m so I decided to go for the 1500m. I’ve been working hard at 1500m this year. It looked this was easy for me but it took so much hard work.”

To those who might doubt the validity of her performances, she added: “I would say I’ve been on top since 2014, before I joined the Oregon Project. I am clean. I do my best. If they want to test me they can test me every single day.”

DOVER, Del. – Denny Hamlin earned his second pole of the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series season in record fashion Saturday at Dover Int’l Speedway.

Hamlin claimed the pole for the Drydene 400 at Dover Int’l Speedway with a 21.559-second lap  at 166.984 mph, which reset the track record at the one-mile concrete oval. Hamlin’s lap bested the record set by Chase Elliott earlier this year at the Monster Mile.

The Virginia native barely edged his friend and rival Kyle Larson for the pole, with Larson coming up .003 seconds short. Larson will start Sunday’s race from the second position.

“For two days we were working on our golf plans for the afternoon and I said well, what time are we leaving? He said, ‘Well, I plan on getting the pole so I gotta do media, so it might be about 15 extra minutes. I’m like yeah, that sounds about right. He is fast in qualifying here,” said Hamlin, who will be making his 500th series start Sunday. “I got him. I’m so happy I beat him.

“To have that lap there, that was a really good lap for us. I knew when I ran it that it was really solid. About nine tenths quicker than we ran all day yesterday.”

Martin Truex Jr., who won the spring race at Dover Int’l Speedway, qualified third. Kevin Harvick and ROVAL winner Chase Elliott completed an all-playoff driver top-five in qualifying.

Playoff competitor William Byron qualified sixth, followed by Aric Almirola, Erik Jones, Kurt Busch and playoff driver Ryan Blaney.

Other playoff drivers in the field include Alex Bowman in 12th, Joey Logano in 14th, Brad Keselowski in 16th, Clint Bowyer in 17th and Kyle Busch in 18th.

Drydene 400 Starting Lineup

1. Denny Hamlin
2. Kyle Larson
3. Martin Truex Jr.
4. Kevin Harvick
5. Chase Elliott
6. William Byron
7. Aric Almirola
8. Erik Jones
9. Kurt Busch
10. Ryan Blaney
11. Jimmie Johnson
12. Alex Bowman
13. Paul Menard
14. Joey Logano
15. Daniel Suarez
16. Brad Keselowski
17. Clint Bowyer
18. Kyle Busch
19. Ricky Stenhouse Jr.
20. Matt DiBenedetto
21. David Ragan
22. Chris Buescher
23. Matt Tifft
24. Ryan Newman
25. Ty Dillon
26. Bubba Wallace
27. Austin Dillon
28. Michael McDowell
29. Corey LaJoie
30. Landon Cassill
31. Daniel Hemric
32. Ryan Preece
33. B.J. McLeod
34. Ross Chastain
35. J.J. Yeley
36. Joe Nemechek
37. Garrett Smithley
38. Reed Sorenson

MARTINSVILLE, Va. – Much like Layne Riggs did a year ago at Martinsville Speedway, Taylor Gray didn’t take long to impress in his ValleyStar Credit Union 300 debut.

Driving the No. 17 Toyota for DGR-Crosley, Gray timed in 15th-fastest among the 68 drivers attempting to make the late model stock car special with a lap of 20.146 seconds (93.994 mph) on Friday night.

Gray’s qualifying place tied that of former NASCAR Gander Outdoors Truck Series standout Timothy Peters, who is driving a Nelson Motorsports-prepared entry this weekend, and assured the teenager a place in the starting field for Saturday night’s feature.

The top 20 drivers in qualifying were locked into their positions ahead of the 200-lap main event.

“That was good; that was definitely the goal for us,” Gray told SPEED SPORT. “It let me get a better night’s sleep than if I would have had to race my way in, that’s for sure. We just have to execute now. It’s a long race and we know, if we make the right adjustments, that we can run well even starting 15th.

“It’s about being there in contention at the end and surviving, and that’s what we intend to do,” he added. “It’s been pretty positive so far. My DGR-Crosley crew has done a really good job of improving in each and every run. We were just a tick tight in qualifying from where we needed to be.

“I’m happy, though, and it’s going to be a fight to the end tomorrow, though, for sure.”

Gray was solid right off the trailer during Friday practice, even though this weekend is his first racing appearance at the .526-mile Virginia paper clip.

A top-20 speed in the afternoon had him believing he could lock in, but Gray was more focused on the strategy he’ll need to employ in the ValleryStar Credit Union 300 itself than merely on sheer speed.

“We just wanted to survive and get through it,” Gray said of what he learned on Friday. “Just being smooth for the race was, and is, a big thing. We know that we need to all four fenders on it at the end of the race, because it’s a 200-lap race and anything can happen. You saw that last year. I’m not sure where C.E. (Falk, defending race winner) started … but I know he wasn’t up front, and he ended up winning the race cause everyone wrecked each other out. You just have to be smart all night long.

“Our goal is just like everyone else’s here: to try and come out with that clock. Survival will give us a chance.”

Much like other rookies making their first starts at Martinsville, Gray admitted that nowhere he’s raced in his short late-model career compares to it, though he did have one track in mind which emulated some characteristics of “The Half Mile of Mayhem.”

“Ace Speedway is kind of close,” Gray noted. “We struggled there really bad, though. Ace has long straightaways and pretty tight corners, but I mean … nothing really compares to this place at all. The closest thing I can think of is Ace though.”

As for his goals for Saturday night’s race, Gray has just one in mind, considering that his teammates on the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East side – Tanner Gray, Todd Gilliland and Drew Dollar – finished second, third and fourth at Dover Int’l Speedway on Friday evening.

Particularly given the fact that his older brother was the runner-up at the Monster Mile, the younger Gray smiled before offering his take on any expectations at Martinsville.

“I always want to beat him, and we saw where he finished, right?” Gray quipped. “There’s only one spot that I can be better than he was, and that’s what I’m gunning for.”

AUSTIN, Texas – Adam Andretti conquered Saturday’s multi-class Trans-AM Series TA/SGT/GT 100-mile feature at Circuit of The Americas.

Andretti delivered on his post-qualifying promise to be respectful of Ernie Francis Jr. and Chris Dyson’s championship, but still managed to move himself into the winning position.

Driving the same Pancho Weaver-built car that Boris Said drove to Trans-Am victory just two weeks ago, Andretti reeled off a series of fast laps late in the race, closing nearly an eight-second gap in an all green race. The drive secured his first win at Circuit of the Americas since 2015 and his maiden victory in the TA class.

In a race-long battle for position, all three major manufacturers were represented on the podium as Chris Dyson and Tomy Drissi finalized the TA class top-three.

“This race was for my wife and brother John,” said a teary-eyed Andretti. “There was a lot of good stuff going on this weekend, a lot of good vibes, all the people who support us made this possible, without you, none of this is possible.”

Battling extreme heat and handling, Dyson kept his championship hopes alive with a second-place finish.

“We were hoping to capitalize today after Ernie (Francis) had some troubles to get a win out of it, but we had some issues with the car and it’s been a frustrating season in that respect,” said Dyson. “I personally got as much as I could out of the car today. I was just glad to get to the end and try to win it all at Daytona.”

Drissi started on the outside of row two. Entering into turn one he and Amy Ruman made contact, sending the pair spinning. Both were able to continue but Drissi lost precious ground on the leaders, falling back to ninth. Drissi recovered speed lap after lap, until he was finally able to overtake Francis with five laps left in the race for the last podium spot.

Starting from pole position, Francis looked to have the race in the bag. Taking a commanding lead early, the championship leader built an eight second gap by lap 10. Then disaster struck for the Breathless Racing driver as he lost power steering with just 10 laps to go. Muscling through the 20-turn circuit, Francis lost speed and the lead he worked so hard all race to build faded. Francis Jr. managed to hold on to finish the race in fourth.

“We had a really good race going there,” Francis said. “We’ve been the fastest car all weekend and that was true in the race too.  We are really pushing hard for this championship and pulled out a big lead but we lost the power steering. I was fighting all the hydraulic fluid in the rack. It was definitely tough to have it happen here, I was having to really muscle through there and it felt like turning a wheel through concrete!  So to get a fourth place finish is better than we could hope for given what happened. It keeps our championship lead and hopefully we can get to Daytona and bring this thing home.”

Kerry Hit was awarded the TA Masters Class award after finishing the race in seventh.

The SGT class race was just as exciting. From the start, pole-starter Cindi Lux, Ken Thwaits and Aaron Pierce battled three-wide through turns and straightaways for multiple laps, until Pierce experienced mechanical issues and was forced to retire the race early. Adrian Wlostowski was there to take Pierce’s place, inserting himself into the mix.

Thwaits paid back Lux from qualifying using her drafting move to take first. He was able to hold on to claim his first win of the season. Lux took second and Wlostowski rounded out the SGT class podium in third. Milton Grant received the Masters Class Award for his seventh-place finish in the SGT class.

Stakes were just as high in the Trans-Am Series presented by Pirelli West Coast Championship as the championship’s third season came to a close on Saturday.

Simon Gregg clinched the TA class West Coast Championship one round early, leaving Michelle Nagai and Michael Fine to a shootout for second place in the championship. Nagai brilliantly tackled the Circuit of the Americas circuit on her way to her first win of the season.

“It’s super special to win here at COTA,” Nagai said. “We had mechanical failures one way or another all season, a lot of should ofs and would ofs, but you know what, we did it here today. We got rookie of the year in the West Coast and second in the championship. We are ready to come back next year.”

Carl Rydquist dazzled fans in his FFR GTM No. 4 MyRaceShop.com Teltac prototype to take first in the SGT West Coast class.

In an all West Coast GT field, Joe Bogetich went flag to flag for the win. However, it was Roger Eagleton who claimed the overall GT West Coast Championship with his second-place finish. Beau Boarders completed the GT podium in third.

“It’s really a great honor to win the West Coast Championship in the GT class,” Eagleton said. “The team Dig Motorsports is only in its third year of existence and to win a pro-level championship is really amazing. A lot of thanks goes to Trans Am to make this possible. We got to race at world famous race tracks at a level of affordability that doesn’t break the bank, that works for us and works for our sponsors. It’s a great stepping stone for us as we want to work up to TA2.”

MADRID – Jon Rahm shot an 8-under 63 on Saturday to match the course record and take a five-shot lead entering the final round of the Spanish Open.

The defending champion had a back-nine 28 to charge to the front at the Club de Campo Villa de Madrid. The crowd favorite hit eight birdies, two bogeys and an eagle in an eventful third round, putting him at 17 under for the tournament.

Fellow Spaniards Rafa Cabrera Bello (70) and Samuel del Val (69) were tied for second place at 12 under.

Jens Dantorp of Sweden (65) is fourth, six shots off the lead.

"I've never teed up with such a lead," said the 24-year-old Rahm. "Every time I've teed off it's been a one-shot lead or tied for the lead so it's going to be a little bit of a different story."

Rahm, seeking his fifth European Tour win, had consecutive bogeys after starting with three birdies in his first seven holes. He had birdies on Nos. 12-15 and then eagled the par-4 16th.

"It's just one of those days where everything was going good for me on that back nine," Rahm said.

Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp has urged Leicester City midfielder Hamza Choudhury to "calm down" after his "dangerous as hell" challenge on Mohamed Salah.

The Egypt forward will have scans on Sunday after limping off with an ankle injury on 89 minutes in the 2-1 victory at Anfield on Saturday following a late and wild tackle from behind by the Leicester man.

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Klopp was furious with the reckless contact, which he believed should have resulted in a sending off instead of just a yellow card.

"It's just a challenge which I really don't understand," Klopp said.

"How he can do it, because the ball is far away. The player is full sprint to bring him down without the ball around, for me there is only one colour card.

"I see in your eyes that I am probably the only one who sees it like this.

"It is dangerous as hell. I don't want to cause the boy any problems, but he has to calm down. He has to calm down."

Leicester manager Brendan Rodgers disagreed with Klopp's analysis of the situation.

"I don't think it was an overly bad challenge," Rodgers said.

"Salah is coming inside and the speed he travels and Hamza is coming back, there is a clash.

"I'm not sure if it is a dead leg or whatever? I have tried to look at it but the camera is quite a way away. The emotion of the game, it might seem worse than it was. He is an honest boy, Hamza. He makes challenges, he's aggressive, but I don't think there was anything malicious."

Choudhury has a reputation of being too rash in duels and was sent off during England Under-21 duty for an awful challenge on France's Jonathan Bamba in June.

Two months later, Newcastle United manager Steve Bruce was seething with the 22-year-old, who injured Matt Ritchie with an "over-the-top, awful, horror challenge" in the Carabao Cup defeat to Leicester at St. James' Park.

"This is not the first situation like this," Klopp said. "He is a super player, but these kind of challenges -- no.

"From a football point of view, if you are quick, you need to make sure that somebody can't do everything to bring you down. I don't need to be a football manager to know this can cause serious injury. I only need two eyes!"