Athletics World Championships: Isaac Kimeli takes silver in 5,000m
Belgium’s Isaac Kimeli has won a surprise silver medal in the 5,000m at the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo.
The 31-year-old from Halle ran a strong race and was in front going into the home straight. American Cole Hocker outpaced him to take gold, but Kimeli finished a comfortable second ahead of France’s Jimmy Gressier. Defending champion and Olympic gold medallist Jakob Ingebritsen was 10th.
Kimeli ran a season’s best 12:58.78, 2 seconds slower than his personal best. This is his first medal at the World Championships, and improves on his eight-place finish in last year’s Olympics.
Compatriot John Heymans was knocked out in the semi-final on Friday.
Elsewhere in the championships, the men’s and women’s 4x400m relay teams both finished fourth. The men’s race was won by Botswana ahead of the USA and South Africa, and the women’s by the USA ahead of Jamaica and the Netherlands.
Jente Hauttekeete finished 10th in the decathlon. The 23-year-old from Ghent closed the event with a personal best in the 1,500m. High jumper Merel Maes also finished 10th in her event, with a height of 1.93.
Isaac Kimeli celebrates his second-place finish, 21 September 2025 © BELGA PHOTO JASPER JACOBS
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