#Paris2024: Cheptegei Dedicates Historic Olympic Gold to Family

Aug 3, 2024 - 12:26

#Paris2024: Cheptegei Dedicates Historic Olympic Gold to Family

Champion Joshua Cheptegei Photos/Courtesy

Ugandan long-distance running sensation Joshua Cheptegei made history on Friday evening, becoming a two-time Olympic champion by winning gold in the men’s 10,000m at the Paris Olympics.

Cheptegei set a new Olympic record of 26:43.14, securing Uganda’s first medal of the Games and further cementing his legacy as the country’s greatest long-distance runner.

"I am so excited. It took a lot of courage. It’s really amazing, this one was still missing. Three times world champion, now I can add the Olympic title to this. This one is for my family." Cheptegei said in a post on his official Facebook account.

"Success is not only for me but for my family, my coach, my management. The whole team around me. I couldn’t have done it without them," Cheptegei expressed with emotion.

Facing intense pressure from a strong Ethiopian team, including defending champion Selemon Barega, Cheptegei surged ahead in the final 500 meters to clinch the gold.

Ethiopia’s Berihu Aregawi took silver, narrowly edging out American Grant Fisher by two-hundredths of a second, finishing in 26:43.44.

The race, held at the iconic Stade de France, saw an incredibly fast pool, with the first 13 finishers all breaking the previous Olympic record, which had stood since 2008.

Cheptegei’s teammates, Jacob Kiplimo and Martin Kiprotich, finished 8th and 28th, respectively.

Reflecting on his journey, Cheptegei shared, “When I took silver in Tokyo, I was so disappointed. I just wanted to win the 10,000m. My collection for this run is really complete. I’m so excited.”

Cheptegei’s illustrious career now includes: