Gold: Almaz Ayana (Ethiopia)
Silver: Vivian Cheruiyot (Kenya)
Bronze: Tirunesh Dibaba (Ethiopia)
Ethiopia’s Almaz Ayana broke the world record on her way to winning the women’s 10,000m gold medal in 29 minutes, 17.45 seconds.
The women’s 10,000m world record had stood since 1993, when China’s Junxia Wang clocked 29:31.78.
2015 world champion Vivian Cheruiyot finished more than 15 seconds after Ayana to earn the silver medal. Tirunesh Dibaba, the 2008 and 2012 Olympic champion, claimed the bronze medal.
The women’s 10,000m was the first track and field medal event at the 2016 Rio Olympics.
U.S. runner Molly Huddle finished sixth in 30:13.17, breaking the American record. Emily Infeld finished 11th, and Marielle Hall was 33rd. The last U.S. woman to win and Olympic 10,000m medal, 2008 bronze medalist Shalane Flanagan, will run the marathon in Rio.
Dibaba’s younger sister, Genzebe, will race in the first round of the women’s 1500m tonight.
The men’s 10,000m final will be held Saturday night. 2012 Olympic gold medalist Mo Farah of Great Britain and 2012 Olympic silver medalist Galen Rupp of the United States are both scheduled to race.