Ingebrigtsen pips Katir to retain world 5,000m title
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Jakob Ingebrigtsen produced a perfectly-timed sprint for the line to retain his world 5,000m title.
BUDAPEST (AFP) – Norway's Jakob Ingebrigtsen produced a perfectly-timed sprint for the line to retain his world 5,000m title on Sunday, pipping Spain's Mohamed Katir to gold.
Ingebrigtsen, who had to settle for 1500m silver on Wednesday, this time got it right in the home straight to win in 13min 11.30sec while Katir took silver in 13.11.44. Kenya's Jacob Krop claimed bronze in 13:12.28.
"I used my energy a little bit better than in the 1500m!" said Ingebrigtsen after his sensational finish, having himself been outsprinted by Briton Josh Kerr for gold in the 1500m.
"To win another world title is great of course. But I was very tired," he said. "This title means a lot to me after losing again in the 1500m. I haven't been at my best but I had the motivation and I had great support.
"I knew that if my tactics were better than my competitors I would have a chance to win and that's what happened. It worked out absolutely perfectly."
Canada's Mohammed Ahmed led the field off at a sedate pace in sweltering conditions at a packed National Athletics Centre in the Hungarian capital.
Race tactics, however, started soon after as Kenya's Ishmael Rokitto Kipkurui surged, quickly building up a 50-metre gap on the pack.
Uganda's Oscar Chelimo, whose teammate and defending Olympic champion Joshua Cheptegei was missing after picking up a foot injury, tasked himself with leading the peloton in pursuit.
The trio of vaunted Ethiopians -- Berihu Aregawi, Hagos Gebrhiwet and Yomif Kejelcha -- then took over, successfully reeling Kipkurui in with six laps to go of the 12-and-a-half lap race.
Gebrhiwet went through the 3km mark in 8:13.11 as the field began to string out into Indian file.
Aregawi took up the lead, accelerating away with a pack of eight including Ingebrigtsen.
As the bell for the final 400 metres ran, the Norwegian was in fourth spot as the runners jostled for the optimum position to attack.
Suddenly Katir bolted into the lead down the far straight. Ingebrigtsen moved wide around the traffic and the pair hit the home stretch together.
With the eyes of both athletes fixed on the big screen just beyond the finish line, Katir gritted his teeth in a bid to hold on for victory.
But Ingebrigtsen kept his cool and in the most dramatic fashion pipped the Spaniard to the line in the last 10 metres.
"It was a very hard run, especially in the last 40-50 metres," said Ingebrigtsen. "It was great racing.
"I'm really happy to defend my title in this way, especially that my final kick was enough this time."
Katir added: "Jakob beat me in the last metres and I am a bit angry. But a silver medal is not something I should be ashamed of.
"I gave all that I have, but Jakob is Jakob. He is the best in the world nowadays."
