Tokyo 2021-Athletics: Ugandan Joshua Cheptegei crowned Olympic champion in the 5000m
Ugandan Joshua Cheptegei, crowned Olympic champion over 5000m in Tokyo, August 6, 2021. REUTERS - KAI PFAFFENBACH
Text by: Nicolas Bamba Follow
2 min
Already vice-Olympic champion over 10,000m, Ugandan Joshua Cheptegei grabbed the most beautiful metal over 5,000m on Friday in Tokyo.
He won in the final ahead of Canadian Mohammed Ahmed and American Paul Chelimo.
It is the second Ugandan gold medal in these Games.
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Uganda is finally on the list of the men's Olympic 5,000m.
Joshua Cheptegei was expected as one of the favorites for the final on Friday August 6.
He did not fail and gave his country its first gold medal over the distance.
After two editions of the Olympic Games (2012 and 2016) where the Briton Mohamed Farah took control of the discipline, an African founder triumphs again.
Undoubted winner
World record holder in 12'35''36 since the summer of 2020, Joshua Cheptegei delivered a perfect race, in the front runners from start to finish.
While some competitors let go or gave everything without being able to keep up with the rapid pace of the leaders, the Ugandan did not weaken.
In the 10,000m final, he was outnumbered by
Ethiopian Selemon Barega
and had to settle for the silver medal.
This time around, Joshua Cheptegei did not let his rivals deprive him of the gold medal.
He crossed the finish line in 12'58''15, ahead of Canadian Mohammed Ahmed and American Paul Chelimo.
The latter threw himself in at the last minute to beat the Kenyan Nicholas Kipkorir Kimeli and take the bronze medal for 12 hundredths.
The Ugandan therefore holds his second Olympic champion in these Games.
After Peruth Chemutai
over 3,000m steeplechase, Joshua Cheptegei is also in gold.
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Olympic Games
2020 Olympics
Uganda
Athletics