Cheptegei will not defend his 5000m Olympic title
David GOMBE
Uganda’s greatest athlete Joshua Cheptegei will not compete in the 5000m race at the ongoing Paris Olympics
Cheptegei was due to take part in Wednesday’s Heats of the distance but will miss the event due to a shoulder injury according to a development from Daily Monitor’s Allan Darren Kyeyune the 10000m Olympic champion will not compete.
“Cheptegei will not compete in the 5000-metre event of the Paris 2024 Games. The Heats are due on Wednesday at the Stade de France. Cheptegei won the 10000-metre gold medal on Friday to become the greatest Ugandan athlete ever.” Revealed Kyeyune.
According to Daily Monitor Cheptegei injured his shoulder while in celebration with a colleague after his 10000m triumph last Friday.
At the Tokyo Games three years ago, Cheptegei clinched the 5000m Olympic title and now leaves the onus to his compatriots Jacob Kiplimo and Oscar Chelimo.
The global long-distance icon has doubled at the previous two Olympic games (2016 in Rio and 2020 in Tokyo).
After clinching the 10000m Olympic title in a new games’ record of 26:43.14 on Friday last week which was the only missing piece in his glittering collection, Cheptegei confirmed that he will quit the track and field athletics and turn focus on the road.
Since this his last Olympic games on the track, Cheptegei is the only Ugandan athlete to have won three Olympic medals (one silver and two golds).
Cheptegei is a three time 10000m world champion, a world record holder over both the 10000m and 5000m.
The legendary long-distance runner has won 12 medals across major championships since the 2014 World Athletics U-20 championships in Oregon, USA.