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Chebet, who was crowned the 5000m gold medalist, has given her account on what really happened between Tsegay and Kipyegon that initially saw the Olympic comitee strip the latter off her silver medal before reinstating it.
Kenya’s Beatrice Chebet claimed Olympic gold in the women’s 5,000 meters at Paris 2024, but the race was overshadowed by a controversial incident involving her compatriot Faith Kipyegon and Ethiopia’s Gudaf Tsegay.
Kipyegon, who initially crossed the finish line in second place, was disqualified for obstruction before being reinstated after a successful appeal.
Chebet, who witnessed the incident up close, offered her account of what transpired during the dramatic final laps.
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12:30 - 06.08.2024
Sifan Hassan slams Ethiopia's Gudaf Tsegay's dark arts after nearly ruining Faith Kipyegon's night
Hassan has criticised Tsegay for her notorious boxing antics after they initially caused Faith Kipyegon to be wrongly judged and stripped off her silver medal in the 5000m of the ongoing Paris Olympic games.
Chebet, 24, delivered a thrilling performance, crossing the line in 14 minutes and 28.56 seconds to secure Kenya’s first gold medal of the Games.
She kept close to Kipyegon and Tsegay for much of the race, hanging on as Kipyegon moved to the front with four laps remaining. However, with just over two laps to go, the race took a dramatic turn when Tsegay, the Ethiopian world record holder, attempted to overtake Kipyegon on the inside.
Speaking to reporters after the race, Chebet defended Kipyegon’s actions, insisting that the contact between Kipyegon and Tsegay was not intentional. "It wasn’t Faith’s fault," Chebet explained.
"I was behind them, and Faith was in the inside lane. Gudaf tried to get into Faith’s lane. Faith had to use her hand to tell Gudaf, 'Don’t push me.' It wasn’t Faith’s fault; she lost her balance and tried to avoid stepping out of the track."
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13:53 - 06.08.2024
Paris Olympics: Faith Kipyegon joined by Susan Ejore & Nelly Chepchirchir after a slow 1500m race
Double Olympics champion Faith Kipyegon opted for a slow race as she qualified for the 1,500m semi-final with compatriots Susan Ejore and Nelly Chepchirchir also sealing a ticket.
Chebet maintained her composure throughout the race, even as the clash between Kipyegon and Tsegay threatened to overshadow her own performance. As Kipyegon led at the bell, Chebet timed her move perfectly, sprinting past her teammate in the final stretch to secure the gold medal.
Despite the initial joy of winning, the atmosphere quickly turned tense as Kipyegon’s name disappeared from the results list, with Sifan Hassan of the Netherlands being upgraded to second place and Italy's Nadia Battocletti handed the bronze.
The disqualification, which cited Rule TR17.2.2 (163.2(b)) for obstruction, left Kipyegon’s fans and teammates in disbelief.
However, Chebet remained hopeful that justice would prevail. "I felt that Kipyegon would be reinstated," she said, reflecting on the moment. "Faith did nothing wrong, and it was clear that the contact was part of the natural dynamics of a highly competitive race."
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02:00 - 06.08.2024
BREAKING: Repreive for Faith Kipyegon as her Paris 2024 Olympic 5000m silver medal gets reinstated upon appeal
Kipyegon had seen her silver medal originally snatched from her after initially being judged to have obstructed Ethiopia's Gudaf Tsegay.
Her confidence was rewarded when, nearly two hours later, Kipyegon was reinstated to her rightful silver medal position after a successful appeal by the Kenyan team to World Athletics.
The appeal panel ruled that the contact between Kipyegon and Tsegay did not warrant a disqualification. However, Kipyegon was issued a disciplinary yellow card, which she will carry for the rest of the Games.
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