WITH ONLY Weini Kelati having achieved the Olympic standard of 30:40 and a race-time temperature of 79° (26C), it was highly unlikely that the 10,000 would have a scorching pace. Others in contention who would need, at the very least, a podium placing to increase their world ranking to make the Olympic field included Katie Izzo, Keira D’Amato, Elly Henes, Natosha Rogers, Amanda Vestri, Jessica McClain, and Keira D’Amato, as well as Trials 5K 3rd-placer and Tokyo Olympian Karissa Schweizer and Florida’s multi-time NCAA champ Parker Valby, whose 4th-place finish in the 5000 left a nasty taste in her mouth.
As expected, the first few kilos were pedestrian. Susanna Sullivan led the bunched field through 3000 (9:36.36) and 5000 (16:09.40) before being overtaken by Erika Kemp, Vestri, Henes, Kelati and Valby with 8 laps remaining.
After a steady diet of 79-80 second laps, Kemp stepped it up to 75 and, as the field approached 8K (5 laps left), Valby burst into the lead and increased the pace even more, taking Schweizer and Kelati with her.
With 4 laps to go Valby’s 70.42 stretched the field, followed by laps of 71 and 70, with Schweizer and Kelati on her heels. As they approached the bell, Schweizer decided she had had enough and moved ahead of Valby with Kelati by her side.
Midway down the back straight, it was Kelati’s turn to strike. She had a stride on Schweizer and two on Valby with 200 left, but neither were finished.
Coming off the bend Schweizer passed Kelati, with her momentum taking her to the outskirts of lane 1 and Valby just a step back.
Charging to the line, Kelati took advantage of her slight frame and passed Schweizer on the inside, never to look back. Valby was also gaining on Schweizer and pulled even as the pair dueled to the line.
Kelati would win in 31:41.07 after a 66.76 final circuit, but a photo was needed to separate Valby and Schweizer, both of whom clocked 31:41.56, with the nod given to Valby by 0.004.
McClain finished 4th in 32:04.57, 25-plus seconds behind Kelati.
The 27-year-old Kelati, who left Eritrea for asylum in the USA after the Eugene ’14 World Junior Championships, said, “It’s crazy, I get pretty emotional when I come here because of the memories back when I left my family. But this year I just wanted to come out here, focus on my race, and just perform well at the race. It’s been affecting every race I do. This year I’ve worked mentally to get prepared with that.”
Said Valby, “The plan was not to race from the front because it does take a lot out of you. I wanted to prove I didn’t come this far just to come this far, and I didn’t want to leave on a 4th-place note and I knew my strength was probably better for the 10K.”
An emotional Schweizer said, “It’s been a long weekend and I’m really excited. Even though it doesn’t look like it. It’s a sigh of relief, too. You put a lot of pressure on yourself, and you work really hard to get to these moments. When you finally do it, I don’t even have words for it.”
WOMEN’S 10,000 RESULTS
(June 29)
1. Weini Kelati (UArmDS) 31:41.07
(79.38, 78.78 [2:38.16], 75.05 [3:53.21], 75.78 [5:08.99], 75.67 [6:24.66], 76.00 [7:40.66], 77.18 [8:57.84], 77.78 [10:15.62], 77.97 [11:33.59], 78.48 [12:52.07], 79.14 [14:11.21], 78.96 [15:30.17], 79.52 [16:49.69], 79.36 [18:09.05], 80.09 [19:29.14], 80.02 [20:49.16], 79.16 [22:08.32], 74.43 [23:22.75], 75.62 [24:38.37], 73.88 [25:52.25], 70.37 [27:02.62], 71.03 [28:13.65], 70.08 [29:23.73], 70.59 [30:34.32], 66.75)
(66.75, 2:17.34, 4:38.45);
2. Parker Valby (Fl) 31:41.56 (67.30, 2:18.23, 4:39.35);
3. Karissa Schweizer (NikeBowTC) 31:41.56 (67.44, 2:17.99, 4:39.14);
4. Jessica McClain (Brk) 32:04.57 (71.92, 2:25.99, 4:56.50);
5. Amanda Vestri (ZapE) 32:11.00 (73.55, 2:30.34, 5:02.31);
6. Kellyn Taylor (Hoka) 32:12.02;
7. Maggie Montoya (Salom) 32:13.26;
8. Erika Kemp (Brk) 32:21.84;
9. Elena Henes (adidas) 32:25.17; 10. Keira D’Amato (Nike) 32:25.77; 11. Carrie Verdon (unat) 32:28.07; 12. Natosha Rogers (PumaEl) 32:28.70; 13. Katie Izzo (adidas) 32:30.31; 14. Susanna Sullivan (Brk) 32:42.12; 15. Katrina Coogan (NBalB) 32:43.04; 16. Olivia Pratt (HansB) 32:44.42; 17. Emily Lipari (adidas) 32:52.99; 18. Amy Davis (HansB) 32:54.72; 19. Katie Camarena (TinE) 32:58.80; 20. Anne-Marie Blaney (HansB) 33:00.53; 21. Jessica Gockley-Day (unat) 33:02.64; 22. Stephanie Bruce (Hoka) 33:32.62;… dnf—Rachel Smith (Hoka).
