Athletics: Gudaf Tsegay sets the best time of the year

At the Dr José Vieira de Carvalho Municipal Stadium, the young Ethiopian Gudaf Tsegay, 24, created the best world performance of the year, winning the Fernanda Ribeiro Gold Gala in the 10,000m in 29 minutes 39 seconds. But it is also the fifth best time in history.

Last Saturday, 8 May, Ethiopian athlete Gudaf Tsegay completed the 10,000m in 29 minutes 39 seconds. Kalkidan Gezahegne from Bahrain finished second (29mn50s77) and Doreen Chesang from Uganda took third place (32mn09s82). This is one of the best performances ever achieved on the Portuguese tracks and gives her a comfortable lead in the world ranking.

At just 24 years of age, Tsegay has the best world time of the year and the fifth best time ever in the double league. In three months, the Ethiopian has shown that she can perform in virtually every distance in the middle and long distance. Indeed, she marked the start of her 10,000m season with a victory and an excellent time, in anticipation of the Tokyo Olympics this summer.

The Fernanda Ribeiro Golden Gala in athletics marked the 25th anniversary of the gold medal won by the athlete who gave her name to the 10,000m event at the Atlanta Olympic Games on Saturday 8 May. The meeting brought together national and foreign athletes from the world’s elite, who tried to obtain the minimum to be allowed to participate in the Tokyo Olympic Games.

The events were held without an audience in the stands, due to the Coronavirus pandemic, but were broadcast live on the internet, via the Portuguese Athletics Federation’s channel, FPA TV.