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Joshua Cheptegei will not defend his 5,000m Olympic title in Paris following a post-race incident after his 10,000m win.
Uganda's 10,000 meters world record holder Joshua Kiprui Cheptegei is set to miss the upcoming 5,000 meters race at the Paris Olympics, a title he brilliantly secured at the Tokyo Games just three years prior.
Despite his previous accomplishments and a strong desire to continue his legacy, an unexpected injury has forced him to reconsider his participation this year.
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According to Ugandan publication Daily Monitor, Cheptegei suffered a shoulder injury last Friday, shortly after his 10,000m victory.
The injury resulted from an unfortunate incident where a fellow athlete accidentally fell on him during post-race celebrations.
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This mishap has left Cheptegei unable to prepare for the 5,000m event.
"An athlete fell on him during celebrations but it wasn’t serious. However, he felt a lot of pain on Saturday morning [until now] and might not be in the right shape for the race," revealed the source.
The severity of his condition led to a significant decision by the Ugandan team.
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They are reportedly planning to request the Olympic committee to remove Cheptegei’s name from the 5,000m start-list as early as tonight.
This decision mirrors his past choices under similar circumstances. For instance, at the 2019 World Championships in Doha, Cheptegei participated only in the 10,000m race and claimed gold, opting out of the 5,000m due to strategic reasons.
Cheptegei's absence will undoubtedly be a blow to the Ugandan team and his global fanbase who had high expectations of him defending his title.
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His achievements in Tokyo, where he earned a silver in the 10,000m and gold in the 5,000m, had positioned him as a potential candidate to join the elite group of athletes like Lasse Viren and Mo Farah, who successfully defended Olympic titles in both distances.
The Ugandan line-up for the 5,000m will still include formidable competitors such as Jacob Kiplimo, a two-time world cross-country champion who finished fifth in this event at the Tokyo Olympics.
However, Cheptegei's leadership and experience will surely be missed.
This year's race also highlights significant competitors from neighboring countries.
Kenya’s team is led by John Ngugi’s successors, including world bronze medalist Jacob Krop.
Ethiopia, too, brings a strong contingent with Hagos Gebrhiwet at the forefront, having set a national record earlier this year.
It is worth noting that at the 2018 Commonwealth Games, he won gold in both the 10,000m and 5,000m events after a last-minute decision encouraged by Janet Museveni, Uganda's First Lady and Minister of Education and Sports, underlining his resilience and dedication.
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