In a thrilling display of endurance and determination, Joshua Cheptegei of Uganda has claimed the Olympic gold medal in the 10,000m event, breaking the previous Olympic record set by the legendary Kenenisa Bekele.
Cheptegei, a three-time world champion and world record holder, timed an incredible 26min 43.14sec to secure victory, surpassing Bekele’s record of 27:07.17 set at the 2008 Beijing Games.
The silver medal went to Ethiopia’s Berihu Aregawi, who narrowly edged out fast-finishing American Grant Fisher by just two-hundredths of a second, crossing the line in 26:43.44.
Cheptegei, 27, admitted that he had been inspired by Bekele’s triumph in Beijing, saying, “Barely 16 years ago when I was watching the great Kenenisa Bekele win in Beijing, it was something that grew in my heart. I said, one day, one time, I want to be Olympic champion.”
The race was a thrilling affair, with the Ethiopian trio of Selemon Barega, Yomif Kejelcha, and Aregawi setting the pace early on, splitting the field. However, Cheptegei and his teammate Jacob Kiplimo fought their way back into contention, with the Ugandan eventually surging to the front in the closing stages.
Cheptegei’s victory was particularly sweet, as he had been disappointed with his silver medal finish at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021. “I’ve wanted this for a long time. When I took silver in Tokyo, I was disappointed. I wanted just to win the 10,000m,” he said.
The victory now adds the Olympic title to Cheptegei’s impressive resume, which already includes three world championship gold medals. “Three times world champion, now I can add the Olympic title to this,” he said.
The race was witnessed by a near-capacity crowd of 69,000 at the Stade de France, with the fans witnessing a thrilling display of endurance and tactical racing that culminated in Cheptegei’s historic triumph.