The men’s 5000m final will include tough opponents like Jakob Ingebrigtsen and Hagos Gebrhiwet. Reigning champion Joshua Cheptegei withdrew after winning the 10,000m gold medal.
With the withdrawal of reigning champion Joshua Cheptegei, there will be a new Olympic champion in the 5000m—an Olympic medal that has eluded Kenya since John Ngugi won it in Seoul 1988.
It has been a long drought for the distance running nation. Since then, Kenya has collected silver and bronze medals, with Thomas Longosiwa winning the country’s last medal in the 5000m at the 2012 London Olympic Games. The responsibility now falls on Jacob Krop, American-based Edwin Kurgat, and Ronald Kwemoi.
“For 36 years, the medal has stayed out of the country for too long. I would like the three of us to sit down with our coaches and strategize how to approach this. Whoever among us wins it, we will all be satisfied,” Ronald Kwemoi said after finishing 6th in heat 2—a heat he described as fast and hard, especially as the race wound up.
Heat 1 featured 2023 World bronze medallist Jacob Krop and Edwin Kurgat, who is representing Kenya for the first time.
“Everything seemed to have gone well. I wanted to stay upfront to avoid all the drama—pushing, shoving, falling down. The coaches have emphasized being careful. It’s about staying cautious and making the qualification,” Kurgat said.
The men’s 5000m final will include tough opponents like Jakob Ingebrigtsen and Hagos Gebrhiwet. Reigning champion Joshua Cheptegei withdrew after winning the 10,000m gold medal.
“The challenge remains the same. Everybody is fit; you saw what happened in other races—some favorites didn’t win—so it’s our chance to go out there, give our best, and bring a medal back home,” noted Kurgat, who has honed his athletic talent in the USA while pursuing his studies.
“I've always wanted to represent Kenya, and getting this chance is a big moment for me. I’m really grateful and ready to give a big fight to help my country win a medal.”
There is even greater pressure in the men’s 800m, an event Kenya has won in the past four editions of the Olympic Games. 2023 World rising star and silver medallist Emmanuel Wanyonyi and Commonwealth 800m Champion Wycliffe Kinyamal have advanced to the semifinals of the men’s 800m. Koitatoi Kidali will have a second chance to qualify through the repechage.
“I was testing the microphone, and I feel I’m ready. The focus now is on the semifinals, and we will give our best. There is a lot of pressure in the 800m because this is our race, so we have to give our all to bring the title home,” said Wycliffe Kinyamal.
The 800m has been one of the most exciting races in the Diamond League. Algeria’s Djamel Sedjati is the world leader and holds the third-fastest time in the history of the 800m, with 1:41.46. Emmanuel Wanyonyi is ranked fourth, and Gabriel Tual is ranked fifth on the all-time list. These are the top three men over the two-lap distance this season.
“I felt the pressure in the heats, but I ran well. We expect to perform well in the semifinals; that’s our focus now. The competition in the 800m is very high, but we expect to qualify for the final,” said Wanyonyi, whose last competition was the Paris Diamond League, where he finished a close second behind Sedjati.