Jebet strikes gold again in 5000 metres

Long distance star Ruth Jebet battled to a second gold medal of the fourth Islamic Solidarity Games, after edging Turkey’s Yasemin Can in a thrilling women’s 5000-metre final in Baku on Thursday.

Jebet, who is a Kenyan-born Bahraini, strolled to gold in the 3000-metre steeplechase on Wednesday, but she was pushed all the way at Baku’s Olympic Stadium after a superb effort from training partner Can.

Can attacked on the final lap, but the Olympic steeplechase champion responded superbly to edge ahead on the final straight as she won in 14 minutes and 53.41 seconds.

European 5000 and 10,000-metre champion Can had to make do with silver despite running with great skill, as she finished just nine hundredths of a second adrift of Jebet.

United Arab Emirates athlete Alia Mohammed snatched bronze after a strong challenge from Kyrgyzstan’s Daria Maslova.

Turkey’s Eda Tugsuz was anything but subtle as she launched her way to gold with a monster throw of 67.21 metres in the women’s javelin final.

Tugsuz was only 11th in last year’s European championships, but her huge effort bettered the Olympic-winning distance of 66.18 metres set by Sara Kolak in Rio last year.

Tugsuz landed her attempt in the first round, and chose not to throw again after round two. Iran’s Sahar Ziaeisisakht was a long way behind in second place with 49.15 metres, while Turkey’s Berivan Sakir took bronze.

Uzbekistan’s Aleksandr Svechnikov won the third gold medal of the morning session in the men’s javelin F13 disability final, while Iranian duo Sajad Nikparast (silver) and Seyed Er Hosseini Liravi (bronze) completed the podium.

Oluwakemi Adekoya breezed into the women’s 400-metre final to remain on track for a Baku double.

The Bahraini, who won 400-metre hurdles gold on Wednesday, ran 51.46 seconds to blitz through her heat to qualify for Friday’s final.

Another Bahraini, Salwa Eid Naser, was the only athlete to get close to Adekoya’s time, as the 2015 world youth champion posted 51.94 seconds to win her heat.

Nigeria’s Folasade Abigeal Abugan won the other heat.

Iran’s Arash Khosravi produced the fastest qualifying time in the men’s 100-metre T11 disability heats to reach the final, while Azeri Nurlan Ibrahimov won heat two.