Cheptegei Bows Out of 10,000m with Olympic Gold Medal

Ugandan long-distance runner Joshua Cheptegei has bowed out of the 10,000m track with an Olympic gold medal.

The World Record holder won the only missing honor in his stellar career on the track on Friday night in Paris. Cheptegei, who leads Uganda’s contingent at the Olympics, had to dig deep to secure gold.

Arguably his biggest competitors, the Ethiopian contingent, started off the race in high gear. However, Cheptegei stuck to his strategy and wasn’t fazed. With two laps to go, Cheptegei unleashed his pace, gliding past all those ahead of him.

The win was a sweet revenge for Ethiopian Selemon Barega, who finished in a distant seventh. In the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, Barega snatched the gold from the breath of Cheptegei. With a time of 26:43.14 seconds, Cheptegei set an Olympic record as he bowed out of the track.

Speaking to Ugandan journalist Clive Kyazze after the race, Cheptegei called out critics for doubting him.

“It is so special that I have come out on top in this 10km race. Especially this being my last race on the track. Every time people say Cheptegei is gone, hahahaha I bounced back for them.” Joshua Cheptegei said.

As humble as ever, the World Champion acknowledged how challenging the race was. He expressed how privileged he was to compete against the best in the world and encouraged other athletes to keep pushing. After the Olympics, he will shift his attention to the road, having debuted in the Valencia marathon in 2023.

“I am going to celebrate this gold and plan together with my management to see what’s good for me. You might see me in the marathon again. I have learned my lesson from Valencia last year and am ready. I needed this Olympic medal to be a complete athlete.” Joshua Cheptegei added.

Ethiopia’s Berihu Aregawi took the silver with a time of 26:43.44 seconds. The surprise podium finish was American Grant Fisher, who sprinted through the last 50 meters to grab bronze in 26:43.46.

Meanwhile, Jacob Kiplimo will be kicking himself for not making the podium after he was outpaced in the last hundred meters. Kiplimo finished eighth in 26:46.39, while Martin Kiprotich finished 22nd in a time of 28:20.72.