CHEPTEGEI: Now or never

🔴 TODAY 🇺🇬
➡️ 5,000m FINAL – Chelimo, Cheptegei, Kiplimo 3pm

➡️ 1,500m FINAL – Nanyondo- 3.50pm

🔴 SAT
➡ Marathon (W) FINAL – I. Chemutai , Chekwel J 1am
➡ 10,000m FINAL Chelangat

🔴 SUN
➡️ Marathon (M) FINAL – Musobo, Kiprotich & Chemonges – 1am

Tokyo, Japan | THE INDEPENDENT & AGENCIES | World 5000m and 10,000m world record holder Joshua Cheptegei gets a chance to hold onto half his Tokyo 2020 Olympics dream, when he runs in the 12.5 lap final today.

He came to Tokyo as favourite to become only the eighth man to successfully complete the 5,000m-10,000m double at an Olympic Games.

“It would be really amazing to win the double, but if I win gold in the 10,000m I would still be grateful. It is demanding a lot, in terms of racing and mindset but I want to give myself a try to win both gold medals,” Cheptegei told BBC World Service Sport before he came to Tokyo.

One half of his dream was however snatched from him by a tactical race from Ethiopia’s Selemon Barega, who won the 10,000m race last week, with Cheptegei settling for silver.

“I have two feelings. One is that I’m very happy to have won an Olympic silver medal and I would say that this is really special for me as a world record-holder and as a world champion,” Cheptegei told Athletics weekly. ” But the other side of me is really not satisfied with the result because I came here expecting to win a gold, but you never know how someone has prepared and you just have to be grateful.”

Barega got his tactics all right in the 25 lap final, a fact that will likely dictate how Cheptegei runs the final today.  He has what it takes to go for it, and he will likely dictate the pace.

In the past year alone, Cheptegei 24, broke the 5000m world record in Monaco (12:35.36),  then shattered the 10,000m record (26:11.00). He had earlier broken world records in the 5km and 10km road races.

If Cheptegei falters, like he has done thrice in the past year in the World Half Marathon, and in a Diamond League 5000m race in June this year, plus the 10,000m final,  20-year-old Kiplimo has shown he has what is required to take on the mantle.

Uganda’s Jacob Kiplimo won bronze in the 10,000m final.

After the 10,000m race, Cheptegei admitted that 2021 had been tough for him. “This year was really a very difficult year for me in terms of racing,” he said. “It’s the year that I have lost all the focus, all the belief. There was a lot of pressure and I was feeling it in every moment.”

Cheptegei said he has been battling a tendon injury that affected his preparations, but added that he was still happy to have scooped the silver medal.

UGANDA history at the Olympics

MEDALS BY GAMES

SOURCE: wikipedia