Kenya’s long-standing quest to end a 56-year drought in the 10,000m final was thwarted once again on Friday in Paris, as their runners fell short of replicating the heroics of Naftali Temu, whose victory in the 1968 Mexico City Games remains Kenya’s sole top honor in the 24-lap race.
Kenyan athletes Bernard Kibet, Daniel Mateiko, and Nicholas Kimeli were unable to secure the victory as Uganda’s Joshua Cheptegei triumphed, outpacing a strong Ethiopian challenge to win his first-ever Olympic gold in the distance. The three-time world champion and world record holder clocked an Olympic record time of 26:43.14.
Ethiopia’s Berihu Aregawi narrowly edged out American Grant Fisher for silver, finishing with a time of 26:43.44, just two-hundredths of a second ahead.
Among the Kenyans, Japan-based Bernard Kibet performed the best, finishing fifth. Kibet, who fell from the leading pack during the final lap, observed that the competition was fierce, and the pace was high. He acknowledged the superior speed of his opponents, particularly Cheptegei, who displayed remarkable composure and tactical prowess in the last laps.
“The race was very tough, and despite the loss, I will take many lessons from it to plan my comeback. Our biggest weakness is speed, particularly in the final lap. We need to improve our final kick, something that opponents like Cheptegei have perfected. His calm and composed approach, especially in the last two laps, was tactical and impressive. I’ll work on my speed and weight ahead of next year’s World Championships,” Kibet said after making his Olympic debut in Paris.
This marks the second consecutive Olympic Games where Kenya has missed the podium in the 10,000m, following Rhonex Kipruto’s eighth-place finish in Tokyo three years ago.
On a brighter note, Kenya’s 800m runners Mary Moraa and Lilian Odira are gearing up for the two-lap race final, aiming to reclaim the title last won by Kenya in 2008. Moraa, the reigning world champion, clocked 1:57.95 to finish behind Ethiopia’s Tsige Duguma in heat 5, while debutant Odira secured her spot in the semifinals by finishing third in heat 6.
“I reached the semifinals in Tokyo and have learned a lot since then. I was focused on getting it right in round 1. Although we have strong opponents, I believe we can win a medal this year. It is achievable,” Moraa said.
Vivian Chebet, another Kenyan representative, will take an alternate route to the semifinals after finishing fourth in heat 6. She will compete in the Repechage Round.
“We will support her tomorrow (Saturday) and hope that all of us can advance to the semifinals and, if possible, the final. Our focus is on preparing well for the semifinals, and the final will follow if we perform well in the semis,” Moraa added.
