In the absence of Uganda’s star athletes, Joshua Cheptegei and Jacob Kiplimo, all eyes will be on Oscar Chelimo as he takes to the track tonight in the men’s 5000m final at the Paris 2024 Olympics.
The race, which will kick off at 9:50pm at the Stade De France, promises to be a thrilling contest with 22 of the world’s best long-distance runners vying for Olympic glory.
Chelimo finds himself as Uganda’s sole representative in this event after the unexpected withdrawals of Joshua Cheptegei, the defending champion and world record holder (12:35.36), and Jacob Kiplimo, his brother and Olympic bronze medalist.
Both Cheptegei and Kiplimo cited fatigue as the reason for pulling out, leaving the 22-year-old Chelimo to carry the nation’s hopes on his shoulders.
Chelimo, who boasts a personal and seasonal best of 12:45.59, secured his place in tonight’s final after finishing fifth in his semi-final heat with a time of 13:52.46 in a rather slow race on Wednesday.
The heat was won by the formidable Norwegian Jakob Ingebrigtsen, who posted the fastest time of 13:51.59.
The final will see Chelimo up against some of the world’s top athletes, including Jakob Ingebrigtsen, ranked second globally, and Ethiopia’s Hagos Gebrhiwet, who holds the second-fastest time in history (12:36.73).
The race will also feature American Grant Fisher, who finished fifth at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, and a strong Kenyan trio of Jacob Krop, Edwin Kurgat, and Ronald Kwemoi.
The host nation, France, will have two contenders in the final: Hay Hugo, with a personal best of 13:02.61, and Yann Schrub, who has clocked 13:04.27 this season.
The Ethiopians, Biniam Mehary and Addisu Yihune, along with Dominic Lokinyomo Lobalu of the Refugee Olympic Team, are also expected to be in the mix for medals.
Uganda has a proud tradition in the 5000m event, most recently marked by Joshua Cheptegei’s gold medal in Tokyo 2020.
Jacob Kiplimo also added to the nation’s medal tally with a bronze in that same race, while Chelimo, then a rising star, finished 16th in the final.
Chelimo’s journey since Tokyo has seen him develop into a stronger competitor. In 2022, he captured a bronze medal at the World Athletics Championships in Oregon, overcoming a nine-place deficit in the final lap.
With the Olympic record of 12:57.82, set by Ethiopia’s Kenenisa Bekele in Beijing 2008, still standing, the stage is set for a fierce battle tonight.
The race could be a tactical affair, with each athlete trying to outmaneuver the other for a spot on the podium.
