Joshua Cheptegei Wins 10,000m Olympic Gold in Record Time

Joshua Cheptegei has finally won the 10,000m Olympic gold.

Cheptegei crossed the finish line of the purple track at Stade de France in an Olympic Record time of 26:43.14, dethroning Selemon Barega.

This marks the first medal for Uganda at this year’s Olympics.

Ethiopia’s Berihu Aregawi secured silver, finishing in 26:43.44.

Grant Fisher of the United States held off Canada’s Mohammed Ahmed to claim bronze with a Season Best time of 26:43.46.

How the Race Unfolded

Barega took the lead in the second lap of the fast-paced race, frequently swapping positions with his compatriots Yomif Kejelcha and Aregawi. Meanwhile, Jacob Kiplimo and Martin Kiprotich stayed close as Cheptegei monitored the situation from behind the pack.

Cheptegei began his attack with 3km to go, moving up to third place behind Ahmed and Kejelcha, and continued to size up his challengers for gold.

The champion didn’t move straight to the front but stayed close enough to keep his opponents on alert. As the 23rd lap neared its end, the 27-year-old made his intentions clear by increasing his tempo and attacking with about 700m remaining. This time, he couldn’t be stopped as he surged ahead to victory.

“I can’t describe the feeling,” Cheptegei said, as quoted by World Athletics. “I’ve wanted this for a long time. When I took silver in Tokyo, I was disappointed. I wanted to win the 10,000m.”