Man of the moment Jacob Kiplimo admits that winning a Commonwealth gold medal ‘was everything’ and ‘the most important thing’ of his season.
Kiplimo secured Uganda’s second gold medal at the ongoing 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham after winning the men’s 10,000m final on Tuesday.
The 21-year-old who took bronze at the 2022 World Athletics Championships in Oregon, USA produced a spectacular finish that was accompanied by a celebratory dance at the finish line.
“I am very excited. Today I knew I would win because I saw the pace was a little bit slow,” he told the Daily Monitor.
“I think for me winning this Commonwealth Games title was everything, the most important thing for me this season.”
“But I still have a lot of things to do in the future at the Olympics and world championships,” he added.
Jacob Kiplimo surpassed @joshuacheptege1 10,000m #GC2018 record!
Hats off to these Ugandan athletes making Uganda 🇺🇬 proud!#ChampioningUgandanSport | #NBSportThisMorning | #NBSportUpdates pic.twitter.com/a9qko7mWSG
— NBS Sport (@NBSportUg) August 3, 2022
Kiplimo beat Kenyan pair Daniel Ebenyo and Kibiwott Kandie, shattering the game’s record that was previously held by compatriot Joshua Cheptegei in a stunning time of 27:09:19.
He joins an elite class of long-distance runners that have made Uganda the dominant nation at the event, winning every gold since 2006.
Boniface Kiprop started the trail in Delhi before Moses Kipsiro won back-to-back gold medals in 2010 and 2014.
Cheptegei then secured both the gold medal and the commonwealth record in Gold Coast 2018.
Kiplimo will attempt to become the third Ugandan runner to win both the 10,000m and 5000m gold medals at the commonwealth games.
Kipsiro and Cheptegei have won both gold medals at the games before, Kipsiro achieving that feat in 2010 before Cheptegei completed his own peat in 2018.
Uganda to the World 🌎
Jacob Kiplimo bags another Gold 🏅 at the #CommonwealthGames2022
You call it a race, we call it #ChampioningUgandanSport! 💪🏿#NBSportUpdates | #NBSportThisMorning pic.twitter.com/xGkrFwgaCh
— NBS Sport (@NBSportUg) August 3, 2022
