Athletics: Top 10 finish for Smith

BERLIN - New Zealand's Kimberley Smith is lamenting a slow pace after finishing eighth in the 10,000m at the world athletics championships in Berlin this morning (NZT).

Smith ran 31 minutes 21.42 seconds, just under 30 seconds behind the winner, Kenya's Linet Chepkwemoi Masai in 30min 51.24sec.

Ethiopians Meselech Melkamu and Wude Ayalew were second and third after a thrilling sprint finish.

Another Ethiopian, defending 5000m world champion Meseret Defar, looked to have the race won as she found herself ahead with less than 100m to run.

But Melkamu and Masai found another gear, with Masai lunging at the line to claim victory by .10sec. Defar finished fifth.

Smith's time was well outside her personal best of 30min 35.34sec, but one place better than the ninth she achieved at last year's Beijing Olympics.

"I didn't feel great at all. I'm pretty disappointed. That was a pretty average race all round," Smith said.

The pace was a pedestrian 15min 45.22sec after the first 5000m as two unknown Japanese runners and then Russian Mariya Konovalova led the way.

Smith positioned herself in third at the 6000m mark but an incredible surge from five Africans on lap 18 effectively killed off New Zealand hopes.

While Smith and a host of other athletes had been out in front for most the race, the three Ethiopians and two Kenyans had waited patiently.

But when Masai sprinted off down the back straight and her continental cousins went with her, the race was blown wide open.

It took the breakaway group just one lap to establish a gap of over 50 metres from the field and with the pace intensified, Smith's race for gold became about trying to finish sixth.

"From the 5k on, I knew it was coming," Smith said.

"It (the pace) was so slow. Everyone was there."

Smith believed a quicker race would have been to her advantage.

"I was ready for a faster race, rather than a changing of the pace.

"It's not really suited to me. I think I suit a faster pace from the start," she said.

"It's a long way to lead up the front. It's kind of suicide so you just have to race with what you've got."

Meanwhile, Smith has withdrawn from her second event in Berlin, the 5000m.

She plans instead to head back to her United States base.

"I don't feel very comfortable doubling up. It's pretty hard to recover after a 10k for me," she said.

Smith has also ruled out any racing in New Zealand this summer.

She hopes to run the London Marathon in April.

- NZPA