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Winner Uganda’s Joshua Cheptegei celebrates with supporters after competing in the men’s 10000m final of the athletics event at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games at Stade de France in Saint-Denis, north of Paris, on August 2, 2024. Uganda’s Joshua Cheptegei sets a new Olympic record in the men’s 10000m. (Photo by Andrej ISAKOVIC / AFP)
Cheptegei Triumphs Over Ethiopian Rivals to Win Olympic 10,000m Gold
Joshua Cheptegei of Uganda won the gold medal in the men’s 10,000 meters at the Olympic Games held at the Stade de France. On Friday, Cheptegei, a three-time world champion and world record holder, finished the race in an Olympic record time of 26 minutes 43.14 seconds. This time surpassed the previous Olympic record of 27:07.17, set by Ethiopian runner Kenenisa Bekele at the 2008 Beijing Games.
Cheptegei’s victory was hard-fought, with strong competition from Ethiopian athletes. Berihu Aregawi of Ethiopia claimed the silver medal with a time of 26:43.44, narrowly edging out American Grant Fisher, who won bronze. Fisher’s bronze medal is the first for the United States in the 10,000 meters since 1968.
The race was dynamic from the start. After just two laps, defending champion Selemon Barega and Ethiopian teammate Yomif Kejelcha made a move to break away from the pack. The field, initially 25 runners strong, began to thin out. Despite the aggressive pace set by the Ethiopian runners, the remaining athletes maintained their positions.
As the race progressed, Aregawi and Kejelcha took turns leading, setting a strong pace in front of a near-capacity crowd of 69,000 at the Stade de France. Cheptegei and his teammate Jacob Kiplimo faced challenges when Martin Magengo Kiprotich fell behind early in the race.
Midway through, Aregawi and Kejelcha increased their pace again, reducing the leading pack to 15 runners. With 10 laps remaining, Barega took over the lead. Mohammed Ahmed of Canada and Benard Kibet of Kenya positioned themselves near Kejelcha.
As the race approached its final stages, Cheptegei and Fisher moved through the pack, with Kejelcha providing another burst of speed. In the last kilometer, Aregawi took the lead, but Cheptegei surged to the front just before the final 400 meters, setting up a dramatic finish. Ahmed followed closely, while Fisher, who had briefly fallen behind, made a strong recovery to secure the bronze medal.
Barega, who was unable to match the final surge, finished seventh with a time of 26:44.48, just behind Kejelcha. Ahmed finished in fourth place, and Kibet came in fifth.