The Independent Uganda: You get the Truth we Pay the Price
Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | For the third consecutive time, Uganda’s long-distance icon Joshua Kiprui Cheptegei will compete in both the 5,000 meters and 10,000m at the 33rd edition of the Summer Olympic Games in Paris.
This could mark the end of Cheptegei’s illustrious track career, as he plans to transition to a road racing career which he tested back in December last year when he finished in 37th place in the Spanish city, clocking 2:08:59 hours.
Among the 21 Ugandan athletes participating in track events, the nation’s medal hopes rest heavily on Cheptegei and his compatriot Jacob Kiplimo, along with perhaps 3000-meter steeplechase defending champion Peruth Chemutai.
Currently, Cheptegei is a role model to every athlete on the Ugandan team and it is not surprising that he was retained as their captain for the Paris games. “Having an athlete who is a role model in the sport to be a Captain like Cheptegei motivates teammates, Coaches, and UAF, and the result is a Triumph,” the UAF President told URN.
The big question however is: How will Cheptegei conclude his track career? He is still chasing a gold medal in the 10,000m, a medal he narrowly missed at the Tokyo Olympics three years ago when he clocked 27:43.63, finishing second behind Ethiopia’s Selemon Barega, who finished at 27:43.22.
In that race, Jacob Kiplimo, Cheptegei’s compatriot, finished third with a time of 27:43.88. Many believe Cheptegei could have clinched the gold if not for the high humidity in Tokyo.
Cheptegei however redeemed himself in the 5,000m race later in Tokyo, finishing first at 12:58.15, ahead of Canada’s Mohammed Ahmed, a victory that made him the first Ugandan to win the 5,000m event at the Olympics.
Meanwhile, the 27-year-old’s performance in Tokyo was a huge upgrade from his first Olympic attempt in 2016, where he failed to win any medals, finishing eighth in the 5000m and sixth in the 10,000m.
Going to Paris, his latest 5,000m race at the Oslo Bislett Games in Norway saw him finish ninth with a time of 12:51.94. In that same race, Kiplimo finished third with a time of 12:40.96, while Ethiopia’s Hagos Gebrhiwet won with 12:36.73.
But, with all the hopes Cheptegei holds, there is Jacob Kiplimo who also entered in the same events and the 23-year perhaps holds better form than Cheptegei who is the world record holder of the two events.
Kiplimo who recently retained his senior men’s title at the World Athletics Cross Country Championships Belgrade 24 and joined an illustrious list of athletes to have successfully defended a world cross-country title including Kenenisa Bekele, Geoffrey Kamworor and Paul Tergat will also be hoping for an improved performance in the Paris games.
In Tokyo, Kiplimo only managed to secure a bronze in the 10,000m behind Cheptegei.
Since then, the 23-year-old has gradually improved in track and road events. It is not surprising that he has beaten Cheptegei in some events the two stars have contested together, such as the Oslo Bislett Games and the 45th World Athletics Cross Country Championships, which he won in 28:09 while Cheptegei finished sixth in 28:24.
Kiplimo recently improved his personal best time over the 5000m to 12:40.96 at the Oslo Bislett Games, making him the eighth fastest runner in history, while Cheptegei holds the world record at 12:35.36.
As Cheptegei and Kiplimo prepare for what is expected to be a do-or-die affair, what keeps the pressure even higher is the form of their closest competitors; Ethiopia’s Yomif KEJELCHA who holds the current best time in 10000m which is 26:31.01 and Cheptegei’s 2020 Olympic Games rival Selemon Barega, who holds the season’s third-best time at 26:34.93.
Meanwhile, Cheptegei and Kiplimo will look to teamwork with 2022 World Championship bronze medalist Oscar Chelimo in the 5000m, while Martin Magengo Kiprotich will team up with the duo in the 10000m race.
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