The Real Science of Sport Podcast Tokyo Day 8: An Historic Men's 800m / Women's 5000m Plays Into Chebet's Hands / Relay Qualification Carnage
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Sep 20, 2025 The middle-distance showdown featured Faith Kipyegon and Beatrice Chebet in a tactical women's 5000m, culminating in Chebet's explosive sprint finish. Meanwhile, the men's 800m delighted fans as Emmanuel Wanyonyi led a historic race, with multiple athletes achieving record times. Dramatic relay qualification saw major teams like the USA and Jamaica face unexpected exits. Additional highlights included Anna Hall's heptathlon triumph and a preview of key races on the final day, promising more thrilling action ahead.
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Chebet's Tactical Sprint Dominance
- Beatrice Chebet wins tactical, slow 5000m races by producing an unrivalled sprint finish.
- Allowing her slow early pace hands her the race even when rivals like Kipyegon seem better on paper.
Front-Running Created A Historic 800m
- Emmanuel Wanyonyi led aggressively and forced an exceptionally fast 800m that dragged the whole field to historic times.
- Leading hard neutralized kickers and produced eight athletes under 1:43, a unique championship depth result.
Fast Pace As Tactical Weapon
- Wanyonyi purposely made the race fast to blunt rivals' kicks and play to his strengths.
- The result mirrored London 2012 depth, with all eight runners breaking 1:43 and multiple personal and national records.