World 10,000m record holder Beatrice Chebet won Kenya’s first gold medal at the Paris Olympics in the women’s 5,000m after blazing to victory in 14:28.56 on Monday night at the Stade de France
World 1,500m and Mile record holder Faith Kipyegon had placed second in 14:29.60 but was disqualified after she was deemed to shove Ethiopia’s Gudaf Tsegay.
The disqualification means Netherlands Sifan Hassan who had placed third (14:30.61) will now get the silver with fourth-placed Nadia Battocletti of Italy (14:31.64) rounding off the podium. The other Kenyan in the race Margaret Chelimo placed fifth (14:31.64).
The National Olympics Committee of Kenya (Nock) is, however, set to contest the decision.
Making her Olympic debut, Chebet shattered the women’s 10,000m in May at the Prefontaine Classic after clocking 28:54.14 to win the race.
Her time eclipsed that of Ethiopia’s Letesenbet Gidey (29:01.03) set in 2021. Chebet became the first woman to run a sub-29-minute race.
The 24-year-old is a silver medallist in the 5,000m from the 2022 World Championships in Eugene, where she clocked 14:46.75, trailing Gudaf Tsegay (14:46.29).
She won bronze during last year's World Championships in Budapest, in 14:54.33 trailing Kipyegon (14:53.88) and Hassan (14:54.11). Chebet won her heat in 15:00.73 leading Ethiopia’s Medina Eisa (15:00.82) and Australia’s Rose Davies (15:00.86).
World 800m champion Mary Moraa had to settle for bronze in her speciality after finishing third in 1:57.42, trailing Keely Hodgkinson of Britain (1:56.72) and Ethiopia’s Tsige Duguma (1:57.15).
