Gold for 🇺🇬 as Cheptegei adds 5000m Olympic title to his world record

Joshua Cheptegei🇺🇬 has added to his already impressive career record on Friday (6) in Tokyo by winning the Olympic 5000m title, going one better than his finish in the 10,000m one week ago.

The Ugandan hit the front with 600 metres to go, producing a sustained charge towards the finish and crossing the line victorious in 12:58.15. Canada’s Moh Ahmed (12:58.61) and Paul Chelimo (12:59.05) came through to take silver and bronze respectively.

“It’s really a great moment. I made a small mistake and I was regretting (having) to become a silver medallist in the 10,000m one week ago,”

“I came here to become an Olympic champion and my dream has been fulfilled today in a beautiful evening.”

“I knew a lot of guys were strong so I had to take them through the lap and whoever was the strongest in the mind (would win),”

“I knew I was strong in the mind because I broke a couple of world records. So I believed that… I would become Olympic champion.”

“This medal is really very special because it comes at a point that I was feeling that maybe I was fatigued and tired,”

“But I had to tell myself, ‘if there is a time for me to become an Olympic champion, it is this year because I am still in my prime age and you never know what could happen in the next three years before Paris”

“I might not have the chance to defend the title, but this is really my special time to win the gold.”

Joshua Cheptegei🇺🇬 said moments after adding the 5000m Olympic title to his already impressive career

The race for gold in the 5,000m was open this year in the absence of Britain’s Mo Farah, who did defend his titles from London in 2012 and the Rio Games five years back, having failed to qualify for the 10,000m.

The 24-year-old Cheptegei set the early pace but was soon overtaken by compatriot Jacob Kiplimo – the youngest ever Ugandan Olympian when he ran the 5,000 heats in Rio aged 15.

Kiplimo, who won bronze in the 10,000, stretched his lead further before Cheptegei edged ahead once again.

World U20 cross-country champion Milkesa Mengesha, the only Ethiopian in the field, USA’s Paul Chelimo and Kenya’s Nicholas Kimeli were all near the front of the pack for most of the race, while Canadian duo Moh Ahmed and Justyn Knight were also never far behind. Spain’s Mohamed Katir, considered by many as one of the pre-race favourites, spent most of the race in the middle of the pack.

Cheptegei moved back into the lead at half way, swapping places with Kiplimo, and the field went through 3000m in 7:55.25. Little more than a lap later, Kimeli – the only Kenyan in the race – went into the lead, passing through 4000m in 10:32.38 with most of the field still in contention.

With two laps to go, the large pack was finally starting to break up as Kimeli continued to lead the group, which was now down to 10 men and starting to bunch up, readying themselves for the final kick.

Cheptegei hit the front with 600 metres to go and didn’t look back. By the time the bell sounded, the Ugandan had already opened a gap of a metre on Kimeli, Chelimo and Kiplimo. He entered the home straight still in control and strode to victory in 12:58.15, the second-fastest winning time at the Olympics after Kenenisa Bekele’s Olympic record of 12:57.82.

Ahmed went from fourth to second down the home straight, taking silver in 12:58.61. Kimeli and Chelimo were locked in battle for bronze, but Chelimo just got the edge with a dive at the finish line, clocking 12:59.05 to finish 0.12 ahead of Kimeli.

Kiplimo faded in the final 200 metres and placed fifth in 13:02.40, ahead of Bahrain’s Birhanu Balew (13:03.20), Knight (13:04.38) and Katir (13:06.60).

The victory makes the Ugandan, whose world record stands at 12:35.36, an Olympic and world champion, adding to his 10,000m win at Doha 2019.