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Joshua Cheptegei bagged the first track gold medal, as other big protagonists at the Games, including Faith Kipyegon, Sifan Hassan, and Beatrice Chebet, advanced to the final of the women’s 5000m. The second day of Athletics at the Stade De France Stadium was full of excitement. Crowds packed the stadium to witness track action for the first time at the Games.
Runners fought hard to get spots into the next rounds in their first heats in a way unprecedented in the past major championships. There were days when the favourites would literally jog through the heats as they awaited the finals, but this time around, almost everyone was ducking for the finish line in blanket finishes in the initial stages!
Kipyegon and Chebet win women’s 5000m heats
Such was the case in the first heat of the women’s 5000m, which was very competitive. Two Japanese runners seemed to have a great strategy: Yuma Yamamoto went out hard, and Nazomi Tanaka controlled the rest of the field and let the gap increase.
It might have worked well to ensure the two runners made it to the final, but Latvia’s Agate Caune could not buy into any of that and started to push the pace. Soon, the field caught up with Yamamoto. Tanaka continued to hold the lead after that up to the last two laps when Faith Kipyegon took over as the main conteders slowly began to move to the front. Kipyegon won the heatin 14:57.56, Sifan Hassan took second in 14:57.65, and Italian Nadia Battocletti was third in 14:57.65.
The second heat was a bit slower, and Kenya’s Beatrice Chebet easily sprinted in the last 150m to take 15:00.73, ahead of Ethiopia’s Medina Eisa in 15:00.82 and Australia’s Rose Davies in 15:00.86. Japan’s Tanaka’s time of 15:00.62, which placed her 9th in the first heat, would have won in this heat.
The men’s 1500m heats
Earlier in the day, the men’s 1500m heats were similarly thrilling to watch as runners jostled for the top six positions that would qualify them to the semi-finals. There were scary moments with blanket finishes, making fans worried that their favourites would not sail through to the semi-finals. Each heat was almost like a final!
The first heat was won by Great Britain’s Josh Kerr, who moved seemingly effortlessly across the field to the front in the last 250m to win in 3:35.83. Kenya’s Brian Komen took second in 3:36.31, ahead of Narve Nordas of Norway in 3:36.41.
The second heat, won by Ethiopia’s Ernias Girma in 3:35.21, was the most crowded, with all the top 10 finishing within 0.8 seconds. USA’s Cole Hocker was second in 3:35.30, ahead of Italy’s Pletro Arese in 3:35.30.
In the third heat, it appeared that overconfidence almost cost Norway’s Jakob Ingebrigtsen. He had run behind the other runners until the last lap when he made his way towards the front and finished third. Stefan Nillesen of the Netherlands won the heat in 3:36.77, with USA’s Kobbs Kessler coming second in 3:36.87.
Sha’Carri Richardson delights crowds in the 100m heats
In heat one of the women’s 100m, USA’s Sha’Carri Richardson pleased the crowds, who cheered aloud in her introduction by running 10.94 effortlessly. Patrizia Van Der Weken of Luxembourg was second in 11.14, edging out Australia’s Bree Masters, who took third in 11.26.
Julien Alfred of Saint Lucia took the second heat in 10.95 ahead of Zoe Hobbs (11.08) and Zaynab Dosso (11.30). The third heat went to Great Britain’s Daryll Neita in 10.92, fourth to Canada’s Audrey Leduc in a new national record, fifth to Poland’s Ewa Swoboda in 10.99 ahead of Asher Smith’s 11.01, sixth to Twanisha Terry of the US, seventh to Gina Mariam Bass Bittaye of Gambia in 11.01 beating Muinga Kambudji to second, the last and the fastest heat went to Marie-Josee Talou-Smith of Cote ivore in 10.87 ahead of Jamaica’s Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce in 10.92.
In the women’s 800m, all the main protagonists, including Kenya’s Mary Moraa, Grea Britain’s Keely Hodgkinson and Jemma Reekie, Jamaica’s Natoya Goule, South Africa’s Prudence Sekgosiso, Ethiopia’s Tsige Duguma, and Cuba’s Daily Cooper Gaspar, among others, easily advanced to the semi-final.
Joshua Cheptegei rules in the men’s 10,000m final
To bring such a great day to a befitting conclusion was the men’s mouth-watering 10,000m final, in which Cheptegei remained patient throughout the electrifying race only to surprise everyone by suddenly dashing to the front with about 500m to go and maintaining one of the longest and strongest sprint finishes ever seen in a long distance track race.
The three-time world champion, 5000m and 10,000m world record holder and 5000m Olympic champion, strode away to win his first 10,000m Olympic gold medal in a new Olympic record of 26:43.44. Ethiopia’s Berihu Aregawi finished second to take the silver medal in 26:43.44, while USA’s Grant Fisher took the bronze medal in 26:43.46.
There were three national records in the race by Spain’s Thierry Ndikumwenayo (26:49.49) in 9th, South Africa’s Adriaan Wildschutt (26:50.64) in 10th and France’s Jimmy Gressier (26:58.67) in 13th place.
Among the several PBs set was Kenya’s Bernard Kibet, who finished 5th in 26:43.98. This was a consolation in his quest to end Kenya’s 56-year-old 10,000m Olympic gold draught, which will now be turning 60 years old at the Los Angeles Olympics in 2028.
From the start of the race, the pace was fast, and it was clear that Ethiopia’s Kenenisa Bekele’s 27:01.17 Olympic record set at the Beijing Olympics in 2008 was going to be under threat.
France’s Yann Schrub took the lead just after the gun, to the delight of the home crowd, who cheered him on wildly and created some excitement in the stadium. But Barega soon took to the lead and increased the pace more. He took the field through the first kilometre in 2:43.1, with his countryman, Kejelcha, following him closely.
As they approached the 3km mark, three Ethiopians, led by Berihu Aregawi, were in the lead. It was fast, and a single file had already formed behind them.
The 5000m mark was crossed in a fast 13:23.2, Aregawi taking the lead from Kejelcha.
As they approached 7000m, the leading pack of the three Ethiopians finally disintegrated, and Canada’s Ahmed Mohammed moved into second place behind Kejelcha. Kenya’s Bernard Kibet moved into third place.
Barega came to the front again with about five laps to go. Soon after that, the leading pack started to get crowded again as the pace was slowing. Kejelcha perhaps thought for a moment that everyone was tired and surged, but the rest reacted and followed, and he slowed down again. No one was ready to make the move yet.
Everything was playing out well for Cheptegei, who seized the moment and surprised everyone in a devastating last lap.