TOKYO OLYMPICS

A resplendent Joshua Cheptegei and Jacob Kiplimo finished second and third, respectively, to take silver and bronze in the men's 10,000m final in Japan's capital Tokyo on Friday.

In a brutal race of 25 laps featuring 25 elite athletes, compatriots Cheptegei and Kiplimo had to dig deep in the home straight for a historic double podium finish behind winner Selemon Barega of Ethiopia, who secured gold.

Barega won with a time of 27:43.22, while Cheptegei's 27:43.63 was a season's best time. Kiplimo did 27:43.88.



A tactical race

Interestingly, Ugandan Stephen Kissa made a bold start to the race when he immediately peeled away from the rest of the pack on the word go to create a sizeable gulf at the front.

Right behind him was his countryman Kiplimo in solid second, with Cheptegei seemingly uninterested in what was happening at the front and electing to remain tucked at the back.

Barega and Kenyan Rhonex Kipruto then got interested and separated themselves from the pack about 2,000m into the race.

Soon, as perhaps expected, the two runners ate into Kissa's ambitious lead and closed in on the Ugandan with a little over 3,000m done.

With just under nine laps to go, Kissa, who had made a blistering start to the contest, was inevitably caught, before slipping to the back and finally walking off the track - with no evidence of injury, but instead apparent satisfaction that he had done what he was supposed to do. Tactics?

What ensued was Cheptegei, who holds the current world record in the men's 10,000m and 5,000m, pushing to the front. Soon, more runners surged forward and in the end, Barega made a dash for it to secure gold.

Barega got the better of Cheptegei and Kiplimo

Cheptegei beat Kiplimo to the finish in a frenetic home straight sprint, and the pair embraced in delight immediately after from the realisation that they have entered Ugandan history books with that impressive performance.

The two have now joined six other Ugandans - both living and dead - who have won at least a medal at the Olympics.

Among these, Stephen Kiprotich (2012) and John Akii-Bua (1972) are the only winners of Olympic gold.

🇺🇬Uganda's Olympic medalists

- Joshua Cheptegei (silver) in the men's 10,000m (athletics) at 2020 Tokyo
- Jacob Kiplimo (bronze) in the men's 10,000m (athletics) at 2020 Tokyo
- Stephen Kiprotich (gold) in the men's marathon (athletics) at 2012 London
- Davis Kamoga (bronze) in the men's 400m (athletics) at 1996 Atlanta
- John Mugabi (silver) in the men's welterweight (boxing) at 1980 Moscow
- Leo Rwabwogo (silver) in the men's flyweight (boxing) at 1972 Munich
- John Akii-Bua (gold) in the men's 400m hurdles (athletics) at 1972 Munich
- Leo Rwabwogo (bronze) in the men's flyweight (boxing) at 1968 Mexico City
- Eridadi Mukwanga (silver) in the men's bantamweight (boxing) at 1968 Mexico City

Cheptegei, Kiplimo shine on packed day for Uganda

Joshua Cheptegei (right) ready on the starting line on Friday

On a busy day of athletics for Team Uganda in Tokyo, 24-year-old Cheptegei and Kiplimo, 20, made sure that the east African nation got on the medals table about half-way into the coronavirus-delayed Games.

Earlier, in the opening session of the day, Albert Chemutai was the first Ugandan in track activity in the sparsely occupied Olympic Stadium - in the men's 3,000m steeplechase round one.

Albert Chemutai competed in the 3,000m steeplechase heats but failed to make the cut

The 26-year-old was in the first heat.

But he found himself pushed to the back as the obstacle race of seven-and-a-half laps wore on. And in the end, he crossed the line in ninth place, his time of 8:29.81 doing him no favours.

And just like that, Chemutai's time in Tokyo was up - at least in the context of participation.

Then followed Winnie Nanyondo and Halimah Nakaayi in the women's 800m heats.

Winnie Nanyondo made it through to the semifinals

Racing in the opening heat, Nanyondo progressed to the semi finals after coming through in second with a time of 2:02.02, right behind French Renelle Lamote (2:01.92) and ahead of Swiss Lore Hoffmann (2.02.05).

But Nakaayi, the current 800m world champion, had to wait with anxiety to learn whether she had qualified among the next six fastest finishers after being beaten to the third and final automatic qualification spot in heat two.

And after a patient wait for four heats to get done with, Nakaayi was finally confirmed to have made the semi-final cut with a still impressive time of 2:00.92.

Halimah Nakaayi also made the 800m semi-final cut

The second athletics session of the day had Ugandans Prisca Chesang, Sarah Chelangat and Esther Chebet take part in the women's 5000m heats. None of the three progressed after

Perhaps one positive that particularly Chelangat will draw from her participation is that she produced her season's best time of 15:59.40.