Mohamed Abdilaahi did not meet his dream of finale over 5000 meters at the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo. In the lead on Friday (September 19, 2025), the German record holder went out. Top star Jakob Ingigtsen from Norway made it exciting.
In the field of 22 runners in the second preliminary run, the Cologne Abdilaahi had to be at least eighth to collect the final on Sunday (12.47 p.m., live at sportschau.de). In view of the strongly occupied run with the Norwegian defending champion Inbrigtsen and the world’s fastest Grant Fisher from the USA, the task could hardly be more difficult.
Up to about 800 meters before the end, it looked good for the German record holder. Abdilaahi had stayed in the middle of the field in the first ten rounds for a long time and left the leadership work to others. Towards the end of the race, the 26-year-old was looking for the proximity of Ingebrigtsen, but could not keep up with the pace of the Norwegian and the competition on the last 200 meters. Abdilaahi finished eleventh in 13: 44.68 minutes. That was not enough for progress.
“In the end the boys were too strong”
Two months ago, Abdilaahi ran German record in the Diamond League meeting in Monaco in 12: 53.63 minutes. At the highlight of the season in Tokyo, however, his own tactics did not open towards the end of the somewhat tough preliminary, he said in the sports show interview: “The race started behavior, that actually came towards everyone. When the mail went out at the front, I kept outside and avoided a fall. But on the last round it was not enough because the boys were too strong.”
But he looked ahead and now aimed at the World Cup in Beijing in two years in Beijing. At the 2021 Olympics in Tokyo and at the 2022 World Cup in Eugene, he was also eliminated in advance.
Insherns trembles into the final
Olympic champion Inherited, who had failed surprisingly after a difficult season in the lead over 1500 meters, did not make a good impression again and trembled into the finals: In 13: 42.15 minutes, the 24-year-old finished eighth of his run.
The Norwegian can make its third World Cup gold perfect in Tokyo in a row over 5000 meters. Because of an Achilles tendon injury, however, he had had to pause for a long time and did not complete races before the World Cup this outdoor season.
It is not surprising in the final European recorder Andreas Almgren (Sweden) – only ninth place. The highly traded Niels Laros from the Netherlands apparently rose.
Bremm disappointed after lead-out
The second German starter Florian Bremm crossed the finish line in 13: 31.09 minutes. “That I was so far back is already bitter. It was a strange race for me. At about 3000 meters, the plug was relatively quick,” said Bremm in the Sportschau interview. The 25-year-old had increased his best time to 13: 09.17 minutes this season.