Africa-Press – Uganda. Joshua Cheptegei and Jacob Kiplimo may have been happy with Olympic silver and bronze medals from Friday’s 10000m final in the Japanese capital Tokyo.But, the pair wasn’t satisfied with the fact that Ethiopian Selemon Barega grabbed the 25-lap gold medal right under their noses.
Cheptegei still intends to become an Olympic champion at the Tokyo 2020 Games. Achieving that would settle the debate on who the country’s greatest athlete ever is.Yet while he badly wants to claim the 10000m gold at the Paris 2024 Games, he has another option in Tokyo to quench his thirst – the men’s 5000m – which begins with the Heats today.“I’m very grateful for the silver medal,” Cheptegei said via social media. “I’m still dreaming for the Olympic title! See you soon in the 5000m on Tuesday (today)!” he said.
Unlike Barega and his Ethiopian counterparts Yomif Kejelcha and Berihu Aregawi, Cheptegei and Kiplimo are both doubling in Tokyo.For world record holder Cheptegei, this 12-and-a-half-lap race wouldn’t have become a priority had he won the gold on Friday. So he will compete over the double at a championship for the first time since winning both 5000m and 10000m races at the 2018 Commonwealth Games in Australia.But, it is Kiplimo who had showed greater intent for the 5000m podium prior. “My Games are not done, 5000m the next,” he said in a post via Facebook.
Heat in the Heats
The Ugandan electric pair will both line-up in Heat 2, while Kiplimo’s brother Oscar Chelimo will come first in Heat 1.The top five finishers per Heat advance to Friday’s final and they will be joined by the next fastest five across both Heats.Debutant Chelimo, who won individual junior bronze at the 2019 World Cross-country Championships in Denmark, must beat his own personal best (PB) of 13:06.79 to stand a chance of progressing in Heat 1.
The 19-year-old is up against a 20-man field that has Kenyan champion Nicholas Kipkorir, Ethiopian champion Getnet Wale who ran the 3000m steeplechase final yesterday, world bronze medallist Canadian Mohammed Ahmed and exciting Italian Yemaneberhan Crippa.In Heat 2, Cheptegei and Kiplimo will need to watch in-form Spaniard Mohammed Katir, who has posted a PB of 12:50.79 this season as well as 2016 Olympic silver medallist American Paul Chelimo.There is also junior world cross-country champion Ethiopian Milkesa Mengesha and another in-form Canadian Justyn Knight.
