David GOMBE
Uganda’s Joshua Cheptegei has secured the 10000m Olympic Games ticket after finishing second in the 10k road race in Laredo, Spain on Saturday.
Cheptegei needed a standard of 27 minutes to secure qualification at the Paris 2024 Olympics.
To book his 10000m Olympic Games ticket, the global long distance runner finished second in a time of 26:53 his third-quickest time and 15 seconds slower than the then world record of 26:38 he set in Valencia in December 2019.
Ethiopia’s Yomif Kejelcha was the victor in a time of 26:37.
Cheptegei will next competes at the World Cross Country Championships in Belgrade in two weeks time.
The three time and reigning 10000m world champion’s main target in 2024 is to add the 10000 Olympic gold to his collection and that’s why the Paris Games are very important for him.
At the Tokyo Games, three years ago, Ethiopia’s Selemon Barega beat Cheptegei to 10000m gold. Cheptegei however went on to win the 5000m Olympic gold.
The Ugandan now aims at wrapping up his long-distance track career as an Olympic champion at a distance.
