Chebet seeks Olympic double in 10,000m race as Wanyonyi eyes 800m final spot

Olympic 5,000m champion Beatrice Chebet will be seeking a historic double when she lines up in the 10,000m women's final at the Paris 2024 games Later tonight.

Chebet, won the 5000m on Monday night, dashing in the last 50m to beat two-time Olympic 1500m champion Faith Kipyegon and Dutch woman Sifan Hassan to the tape.

She will fly the Kenyan flag alongside compatriots Margaret Chelimo and Lilian Kasiait.

Kasait, is the second fastest runner this year with another sub-30 display of 29:26.89, while Chelimo  finished fifth in the 5000m final, has a best time of  (29:27.59), in the 25 laps race

The world record holder with a time of (28:54.14), will face a rich field led by defending champion Sifan Hassan (29:06.82), Ethiopian two-time world 5000m record-holder Gudaf Tsegay and compatriots Fotyen Tesfay (29:47.71) and Tsigie Gebreselama (29:48.34).

While Chebet will be seeking to become the first Kenyan to clinch an Olympic double, Sifan's victory will see the Dutch star become the only woman to have won the title consecutively after Ethiopia’s Tirunesh Dibaba's grabbed the Beijing 2008 and London 2012 titles.

The 24-year-old Olympics debutant faces an acid test in her quest for a second gold medal despite being among the favourites despite flooring seasoned track legends Faith Kiyegon, Sifan and Ethiopia's Tsegay Gudaf. In the 5000m race.

“This is a different race and I have to use a different technique to emerge victorious. "It will be tough but I will try my best," Chebet said.

The race takes place at 9.47 pm at the iconic Stade de France.

Meanwhile, Emmanuel Wanyonyi and Commonwealth Games title holder Wycliffe Kinyamal will kick start team Kenya’s track events this afternoon when they line up in the men's 800m semifinals at the 2024 Paris Olympic Games.

The duo will seek to inch closer to the meal race after finishing among the top three in their respective heats.

While world silver medalist Wanyonyi easily won heat three in 1:44.64, Commonwealth champion Kinyamal finished third in heat in 1:45.86.

Former world U20 champion Wanyonyi will parade in semifinal 3 alongside Haingura  Kethobogile of Botswana and Italy's Barontini Simone among others in a nine-man line-up. 

Kinyamal will be up against Gouaned Mohamed Ali of Algeria and Kessler Hobbs of the USA in heat 2 comprising a nine-man track.

The first 2 in each of the three heats advance to the final, alongside the next 2 (fastest).

Tokyo 2020 winner Emmanuel Korir missed the event and the two will be working hard to ensure the Kenyan national anthem is played on the podium as a new champion is coronated.

The 800m semi-final kick starts at 2.40 pm.