Beatrice Chebet of Kenya took the first gold medal of the week in the Ratina Stadium when sprinting to victory in a women's 5,000 metres final in which all three podium finishers achieved personal bests.

Chebet triumphed by just 0.10 seconds from Ethiopia's Ejgayehu Taye in 15min 30.77sec.

Girmawit Gebrzihair clinched a second Ethiopian medal with bronze in 15:34.01.

Rhonex Kipruto then achieved a more comfortable Kenyan success when winning the men's 10,000m record in a Championship record 27:21.08.

It took over four seconds off the 27:25.23 set by his fellow countryman Rodgers Kwemoi in Bydgoszcz in 2016.

Jacob Kiplimo took a distant Ugandan silver today in 27:40.36.

Ethiopia's Berihu Aregawi was third in 27:48.41.

The first non-East African finisher was Japan's ninth placed Takura Miura in 30:12.25.

South Africa's Kyle Blignaut also won a thrilling shot put final on day one.

He threw 22.07 metres with the six kilogram implement to triumph by the slenderest of one centimetre margins over American rival Adrian Piperi.

Greece's Odysseas Mouzenidis took a distant bronze medal with 21.07.

Australia further showcased the international scale of the event by holding the top two positions at the halfway point of the decathlon.

Ashley Moloney leads with 4,319 points as Gary Haasbroek managed 4,103 for second place.

Simon Ehammer of Switzerland lies third with 4,067 with the second due to come tomorrow.