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Two world records were broken in a staggering hour in Spain on Wednesday when Nike’s controversial track spikes again demonstrated a game changer for athletics.
The meeting in Valencia had been heralded as “World Record Day” by the organizers and was quickly fulfilled as 22-year-old Letesenbet Gidey from Ethiopia erased Tirunesh Dibaba’s 5,000m women’s record by more than four seconds in 14 minutes and 6.62 seconds.
Shortly after, Ugandan Joshua Cheptegui, 24, added the men’s world record of 10,000 meters to his record of 5,000 meters obtained in early summer with an astonishing demonstration of controlled running. His time of 26min 11sec surpassed the previous best, held since 2004 by Kenenisa Bekele, by just a credible six seconds.
Both records will inspire controversy and awe as Gidey and Cheptegui wore Nike ZoomX Dragonfly spikes that contain a carbon plate and unique foam and have been billed as the “fastest running shoes ever”.
While many in athletics are uncomfortable with spikes, and especially the advantage they seem to give over rivals wearing other brands, they have been approved by World Athletics.
Athletes were also aided by Wavelight technology that uses flashing lights to show the pace needed to break records.
Last month, Mo Farah and Hasan Sifan broke the one-hour records for men and women, also wearing ultra-fast Nike shoes and Wavelight technology.
Cheptegui, who is scheduled to face Farah at the Tokyo Olympics at over 10,000 meters next summer, was asked if a second world record in two months meant he had achieved greatness. “I think this is just the foundation of what I want to achieve in the next few years,” he replied.
Gidey, who raced at the same time as Emil Zatopek when he set an Olympic record at the 1952 Games, was equally effusive. “I dreamed of this record for six years, I want to thank Valencia for giving me this opportunity,” he said. “It is very good for Ethiopia. Before it was Tirunesh Dibaba and now it is me ”.
