Cheptegei goes for the double

Gold Coast, Australia | THE INDEPENDENT  |  Joshua Cheptegei is set to emulate Moses Kipsiro’s Commonwealth Games double winning feat when he competes in the 10,000m final on Friday.

Cheptegei is a firm favourite to add the 10,000m title to the 5000m gold he won last week that will see him equal Moses Kipsiro’s double achievement at the 2010 Commonwealth games in India.

Kipsiro, the most successful Ugandan track and field athlete with three gold medals, won both the 5,000m and 10,000m in Delhi, before adding the 10,000m final at the 2014 Games.

Cheptegei (26:49.94), one of only two athletes at this final who have ever run sub-27 minute times, will be the man to beat following his dominance of last Sunday’s 5000m final.

It is however the first time he is going for the double, and lying in wait for any mistake will be Kenyans Josphat Bett Kipkoech (26:48.99),  Glasgow 2014 steeplechase gold medallist Jonathan Ndiku (Kenya) and World Under 20 champion Rodgers Kwemoi (Kenya).

Also in the race is Mohammed Ahmed (Canada) who came second in the 5000m final but has experience of running in two finals at the last Olympics.

Team tactics will be key, with the Kenyans traditionally running such races with a planned role for each of their athletes.  In the 5000m final, Cheptegei kept behind the leaders and only charged in the final four laps, but with three Kenyans in this, staying in the lead pack will be key.

Cheptegei, 21, has been in formidable form since winning 10,000m silver at the World Championships last year.  In the past 6 months, he has run the  world’s second fastest 15k race ever at the Seven Hills Race Zevenheuvelenloop in Nijmegen, The Netherlands in November and dominated all the cross-country races he participated in this year.

Uganda’s history at Commonwealth games