TOKYO: Norway’s double-defending 5,000 meters world champion Jacob Ingebrigtsen and America’s Olympic 1,500m champion Cole Hocker advanced to the final of the 5,000m on Friday where they will hope to make amends for 1,500m frustrations earlier in the week.
Ingebrigtsen, who has been battling to get into race shape after an Achilles injury, went out in the heats of the 1,500m, having been beaten in the final in the last two world championships and at last year’s Olympics, but on all three occasions he bounced back to win the 5,000.
The Norwegian, who turned 25 on Friday, took up his usual position right at the back of the second heat as, with no fast losers going through, the race rolled along at a Sunday jog pace in perfect, cooler conditions after the heat earlier this week.
Ingebrigtsen made his move approaching the bell, but his usual smooth acceleration was missing, and he ended up battling to the line to snatch the eighth and last qualifying berth.
“I gave my all but I’m not myself,” said Ingebrigtsen. “I had to do what I could today. I was not sure if I would make the final but here I am. I don’t have any idea what I am going to do in the final. I will try my best.”
Hocker, the shock 1,500m winner in Paris last year, was disqualified in the 1,500m semifinals this week after pushing his way through the pack on the home straight.
After leading for much of the first of the two heats on Friday, he again found himself boxed in, but seemingly having learned his lesson, he remained patient and drifted into the safety of lane three to come home safely, and cleanly.
His compatriot Grant Fisher, the world leader this year, and France’s Jimmy Gressier, surprise winner of the 10,000m, also progressed to the final on Sunday, the final day of competition.
A surprise absentee will be Sweden’s 10,000m bronze medallist in Tokyo Andreas Almgren, who finished ninth in the first heat.
Morocco’s Soufiane El Bakkali, who suffered a shock defeat on the line as he sought a hat-trick of titles in the 3,000m steeplechase, was scheduled to take part in the 5,000 but did not start.
Champion Ingebrigtsen labors into 5,000m final
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Champion Ingebrigtsen labors into 5,000m final
- Ingebrigtsen made his move approaching the bell, but his usual smooth acceleration was missing
- Grant Fisher, the world leader this year, and France’s Jimmy Gressier, surprise winner of the 10,000m, also progressed to the final on Sunday
John Cena, WWE superstar widely admired in Saudi Arabia, retires from in-ring competition
- Cena was one of a few WWE superstars such as Hulk Hogan who were admired in Saudi Arabia and the region
- His career spanned more than two decades on top of the sports entertainment landscape
RIYADH: John Cena officially retired from in-ring competition on Dec. 13 after competing his final match at WWE Saturday Night’s Main Event in Washington, DC.
Cena, a 17-time world champion, tapped out to a sleeper hold after a brutal 24-minute match with rising Austrian superstar Gunther, a result which stunned and disappointed some fans but served to elevate Gunther’s status as a dominant force in the sport. Cena would not have left the world of sports entertainment without the long-standing tradition of paying it forward to elevate talent on the way out of the business.
The legendary superstar first announced his plan to retire from being an active member of the WWE roster in July of 2024 during the Money in the Bank Premium Live Event. Cena said that 2025 would be his last as an active in-ring performer and he embarked on a year-long farewell tour.
Cena was one of a select few of WWE Superstars such as Hulk Hogan, The Undertaker and Stone Cold Steve Austin who were at the forefront of fans’ admiration in Saudi Arabia and considered as unofficial ambassadors to American sports, entertainment and pop culture.
This admiration only amplified after March 2018 through the partnership deal between the General Entertainment Authority and the WWE for an exclusive 10-year contract to hold multiple events in the Kingdom.
This partnership was a catalyst for Cena to hold a special place in the hearts of fans in the Kingdom. He has competed in three significant matches in Saudi Arabia. His first match in the Kingdom was during the Greatest Royal Rumble in April of 2018 where he defeated Triple H in the opening match of the event, which was also the first major WWE show in Saudi Arabia under the partnership.
His second match was in 2023 during November’s Crown Jewel where Cena lost to Solo Sikoa after a brutal match in which he endured nine Samoan Spikes from the rising Samoan star. In his final appearance in Saudi Arabia, John Cena defeated his long-time rival CM Punk to retain the Undisputed WWE Championship in the main event of the Night of Champions held last June in Riyadh.
Since the partnership began, major events such as Crown Jewel, Elimination Chamber, and King & Queen of the Ring have been held in the Kingdom. The partnership also includes the Royal Rumble in January 2026 and WrestleMania 43 in 2027 — the first times these events have been held outside of North America.
Cena began an illustrious career that spanned 26 years and started in November 1999 before signing a developmental contract with the WWE in 2001. His first televised WWE match was against WWE Hall of Fame inductee and Olympic gold medalist and former world champion, Kurt Angle, in the June 27, 2002 edition of WWE’s blue-branded show SmackDown.
Cena’s introduction to the WWE fanbase started when he answered Angle’s open challenge and introduced himself as possessing “ruthless aggression” before slapping Angle and starting the match.
At WrestleMania 20 in 2004, Cena defeated Big Show in the opening match to win his first championship in WWE, the US Championship at Madison Square Garden. This marked Cena’s first WrestleMania appearance and the beginning of his significant championship collection, and was a pivotal moment in his career.
A year later in 2005, Cena defeated John Bradshaw Layfield at WrestleMania 21 for his first WWE championship, marking his official transition to top star.
Cena is a ten-time Slammy Award winner, and has headlined WrestleMania a record six times. Cena holds a record of 17-WWE World Champion wins (14 WWE Championship, three World Heavyweight Championship) under his belt, only surpassing Ric Flair's 16 reigns, a record Flair held for years.
Cena is a two-time Royal Rumble winner (2008, 2013) and a one-time Money in the Bank winner (2012). He is recognized as both a Triple Crown and Grand Slam champion, holding the US Championship five times, Intercontinental Championship once, WWE Tag Team Championship twice, with The Miz and David Otunga, and World Tag Team Championship twice with Dave Batista and The Heartbreak Kid Shawn Michaels.
Cena became the face of the WWE brand over the past two decades. He also enjoyed the accolade of being the longest-reigning face of the WWE brand before he transitioned to a part-time schedule around 2017 to focus on his acting career. He has built a significant career in film and philanthropy.
He holds the record for the most wishes granted by any celebrity for the Make-A-Wish Foundation, with more than 650 wishes fulfilled. In 2005, he released the rap album “You Can’t See Me,” which debuted at No. 15 on the US Billboard 200 chart.
Cena has successfully transitioned to acting, with notable roles in films such as
“Trainwreck,” “Blockers,” “Bumblebee,” “F9,” and “The Suicide Squad” as the character Peacemaker, which was also spun off as a superhero series for HBO Max.
