Kenya’s Beatrice Chebet delivered a textbook performance on Aug 5 to win the women’s Olympic 5,000 metres as she outperformed compatriot Faith Kipyegon, whose silver medal was reinstated after she had been controversially disqualified.
The former won the race in 14 minutes 28.56 seconds, while the Netherlands’ Sifan Hassan (14:30.61) claimed silver and Italian Nadia Battocletti took bronze (14:31.64).
Chebet produced a thrilling finish to win the first medal for her country at the Paris Olympics and smiled widely as she crossed the line after an exhausting performance.
World champion Kipyegon had finished second in 14:29.60 but was disqualified after a clash with Ethiopian world-record holder Gudaf Tsegay on the penultimate lap.
Her silver medal, however, was later reinstated following an appeal by the Kenyan team, pushing Hassan down to bronze and bumping Battocletti off the podium.
“Congratulations to Faith Kipyegon, her silver medal has been reinstated,” Athletics Kenya said on X.
“Kenya’s team officials led by Milka Chemos, Bernard Ouma and team manager Peter Angwenyi successfully appealed and won her case.”
Chebet, runner-up at the 2022 World Championships in Eugene and bronze medallist in Budapest in 2023, took the early lead and hung in with Kipyegon through much of the race before surging past her off the final bend.
Tokyo champion Hassan was in fifth place heading into the final 400m and dug deep to try to hang on to her Olympic crown but could not match the Kenyans’ speed around the final turn.
Chebet hugged and cheered with Kipyegon as the pair donned Kenyan flags to wild applause from the crowd at the packed Stade de France.
It quickly became clear, however, that Kipyegon would not join her on the podium as her name disappeared from the results list and she was later marked disqualified. Hassan stood squinting at a monitor showing the results as Battocletti stood by in a confusing scene minutes after the race.
“I am so sad for Faith and I hope justice will be done. Because Faith did not do anything bad,” Chebet had said in the aftermath. “I think she will get it (the medal) in the end.”
Hassan, meanwhile, will continue a gruelling Paris campaign with the 10,000m and marathon on her agenda.
“It’s my crazy thing, I just want to complete it. I know people have done (three events) before but not in the 10,000 metres and marathon. I’m very curious,” the Dutchwoman said.
“Could I podium? Could I even complete (the races)? I’m trying to fight with myself.”
In other finals on Aug 5, Armand Duplantis soared over his rivals in clinching back-to-back Olympic pole-vault crowns with a new 6.25m world record as Keely Hodgkinson won Britain’s first track gold in Paris with a her 800m final victory.
Middle-distance runner Hodgkinson finally ended her long wait to capture a major global championship title.
The 22-year-old, who had claimed three consecutive silver medals at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021 and the World Championships in 2022 and 2023, led from start to finish to win in 1min 56.72sec.
Ethiopia’s Tsige Duguma claimed silver in 1:57.15sec and Kenya’s Mary Moraa took bronze (1:57.42sec).
In the women’s discus, American Valarie Allman retained her Olympic crown comfortably with a throw of 69.50m.
China’s Feng Bin took silver with 67.51m, while Sandra Elkasevic of Croatia also threw 67.51 but had to settle for bronze because Feng’s second-best effort topped the Croat’s.
--Agencies
