World Champs Menâ€s 10K — Gressier Sprints To Wild Upset

In steamy conditions, the entire field staked their chances on a kick and unheralded Jimmy Gressier proved his was sharpest. (KEVIN MORRIS)

BEFORE HIS SHOCKING Tokyo 10,000 gold-medal performance, Jimmy Gressier was best known among international T&F fans for his gritty Olympic race over the same distance a year earlier on his home track and his upset 3000 triumph in the DL Final 2 weeks ago. In the Paris Games race, Gressier finished 13th, but smashed the French NR with his 26:58.67. In the ‘25 DL Final in Zürich, Gressier, who is 28, ran 7:36.78 as he outkicked Paris double-medalist Grant Fisher.

But neither of those achievements probably compared to his joy and bewilderment here after outkicking the worldâ€s best — including 7 who defeated him 13 months earlier in Stade de France. His winning mark was 28:55.77 — not that this was a race for time. Far from it.

Gressier was nowhere to be found in our 10K formchart (though he was slotted No. 9 at 5K). But with 200 remaining, in what was often a staggeringly slow final, there he was with Ethiopians Yomif Kejelcha, Selemon Barega and Berihu Aregawi, plus Americans Fisher and Nico Young, all sprinting for the win.

However, the Frenchman ran intelligently through the slow laps (1600m in 5:17), as well as the final 5 that comprised (expressed in kilometers) the 2:43.01/2:26.11 finish. When Swede Andreas Almgren moved ahead for the second time in the tense waiting game, Fisher and Gressier were right behind, followed by 10 others within a few clicks. After lap 23 was covered in 62.9, Barega edged in front with 600 left. Thirteen reached the 9600-meter mark with a chance to medal.

The first real move, however, was made with 200 left, not by ‘21 Olympic gold medalist Barega or ‘24 silver medalist Aregawi, but by Kejelcha — known more for fast times than medals. With 100 to go, however, Gressier, coming from 6th, shot between Almgren and Barega and got alongside Kejelcha, where he kept sprinting until he passed the Ethiopian in the final strides. Gressierâ€s final lap was 54.1; his last 100 a blistering 12.7.

Just behind them, Almgren — who had finished right behind Gressier and Fisher in Zürich — claimed bronze in 28:56.02. You have to go back to Alain Mimoun (silver in 1948 and ‘52 behind Emil Zátopek) and Bertil Albertsson (bronze ‘48) for the last Frenchman and Swede, respectively, to medal in an OG or WC 10K.

Even without the gold, Kejelcha was hardly disappointed with his first global medal since â€19. But Fisher had nothing left in the final 100 and faded to 8th. Young, fractions ahead of Gressier in Paris and owner of a big DL 5K win over the summer, didnâ€t quite have the kick and took 5th. Barega and Aregawi slipped to 6th and 11th.

“The strategy on the last lap was to stay patient… because I know that in the last 100m, when I have legs, I can be formidable and I carried out the plan I had in mind,†said Gressier. He added that in Paris a tendon injury limited his buildup. “I wasnâ€t totally confident and at 100% of my abilities [before]. Today I had much more time to train.â€

Zürich gave him hope and confidence. “Today I wasnâ€t surprised… I knew I was capable of repeating the same pattern and thatâ€s exactly what happened.â€

MENâ€S 10,000 RESULTS

(September 14)

1. Jimmy Gressier (Fra) 28:55.77

(finish: 12.7, 25.6, 39.5, 54.1);

2. Yomif Kejelcha (Eth) 28:55.83;

3. Andreas Almgren (Swe) 28:56.02;

4. Ishmael Kipkurui (Ken) 28:56.48;

5. Nico Young (US) 28:56.62;

6. Selemon Barega (Eth) 28:57.21;

7. Edwin Kurgat (Ken) 28:57.83;

8. Grant Fisher (US) 28:57.85;

9. Thierry Ndikumwenayo (Spa) 28:59.07; 10. Adrian Wildschutt (SA) 28:59.47; 11. Graham Blanks (US) 29:01.27; 12. Berihu Aregawi (Eth) 29:02.02; 13. Dan Kibet (Uga) 29:03.22; 14. Dominic Lobalu (Swi) 29:11.65; 15. Egide Ntakarutimana (Bur) 29:12.81; 16. Gulveer Singh (Ind) 29:13.33; 17. Awet Nftalem Kibrab (Nor) 29:19.91; 18. Oscar Chelimo (Uga) 29:26.66 PR; 19. Efrem Gidey (Ire) 29:30.37; 20. Mebuki Suzuki (Jpn) 29:33.60; 21. Célestine Ndikumana (Bur) 29:38.86; 22. Jun Kasai (Jpn) 29:41.84; 23. Davor Aaron Bienenfeld (Ger) 29:51.41;

… dnf—Benson Kiplangat (Ken), Moh Ahmed (Can).

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