Kenya’s Beatrice Chebet stunned the athletics world by clinching the Olympic 5,000m gold medal at the Paris 2024 Games on August 5, 2024.
Chebet surged ahead with a powerful final kick to finish in 14 minutes, 28.56 seconds, narrowly beating her compatriot Faith Kipyegon. Although Kipyegon initially faced disqualification for obstruction after a clash with Ethiopia’s Gudaf Tsegay with two laps remaining, she was reinstated as the silver medallist following an appeal by World Athletics.
Sifan Hassan, the Tokyo 2020 champion, took third place with a time of 14:30.61, while Italy’s Nadia Battocletti set a national record of 14:31.64 to finish fourth.
The race was highly anticipated, featuring a lineup of the three fastest women in history over the 5,000m distance. Defending champion Hassan, reigning world champion Kipyegon, and world record holder Tsegay were all expected to deliver strong performances.
Chebet executed a strategic race, staying near the front throughout the 12-and-a-half laps. As the competition intensified, a skirmish occurred between Kipyegon and Tsegay with two laps to go, allowing Tsegay to briefly lead. However, Kipyegon made a decisive move with 500 meters remaining, with Chebet closely following.
In a dramatic finish, Chebet accelerated past Kipyegon in the final 50 meters to secure gold. This victory added to her impressive track record, which includes a silver and bronze from previous world championships.
🥇 Beatrice Chebet wins Kenya’s first gold 5000M at #Paris2023 beating Faith Kipyegon to complete a 1-2 for Kenya#Olympics pic.twitter.com/jw2Rc8Cgq8
— Eric Njiru (@EricNjiiru) August 5, 2024
