Jolting start for track: Ethiopian shatters 10,000 record

Ethiopia's Almaz Ayana poses next to a scoreboard showing her new world record in the women's 10,000-meter final during the Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Friday, Aug. 12, 2016. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum) Ethiopia's Almaz Ayana poses next to a scoreboard showing her new world record in the women's 10,000-meter final during the Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Friday, Aug. 12, 2016. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)

By Associated Press August 12, 2016 4 min read

RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) – What track and field really needed was a Usain Bolt-like jolt to steer the conversation from the endless string of crime, punishment and doping that nearly sank the sport over the past year.

What it got was a 10,000-meter world record from an Ethiopian who considers it her second-favorite distance, and a race that will go down as one of the best ever run at the Olympics.

While Bolt was waiting in the wings for one more day, Almaz Ayana opened the Olympic track meet Friday by running the 10K in 29 minutes, 17.45 seconds to shatter a 23-year-old record by more than 14 seconds.

“This was not my plan,” Ayana said.

It was quite an impressive race, even though the stands were maybe a quarter full when it happened.