Paris 2024: Jacob Krop, Edwin Kurgat  & Rodgers Kwemoi  sail through to men's 5000m final

©Team Kenya

Paris 2024: Jacob Krop, Edwin Kurgat & Rodgers Kwemoi sail through to men's 5000m final

Festus Chuma 12:45 - 07.08.2024

Jacob Krop, Edwin Kurgat and Rodgers Kwemoi have cruised smoothly to the men's 5000m final at the Paris Olympics.

The trio of Jacob Krop, Ronald Kwemoi and Edwin Kurgat now has a chance to claim Olympic gold in the 5000m for Kenya, a feat last achieved at the 1988 Seoul Games by John Ngugi.

Krop and Kurgat competed in the first round of the heats, while Kwemoi ran in the second round.

Since Ngugi's victory, Kenyan runners such as Paul Bitok and Eliud Kipchoge have come close, each securing silver medals.

In the first heat, Jacob Krop delivered a strong performance by securing the fourth position with a time of 14:08.73.

Right behind him, his compatriot Edwin Kurgat also showcased his prowess, clocking in at 14:08.76.

The race was tightly contested with Narve Gilje Nordas from Norway edging out the competition with a remarkable time of 14:08.16 closely followed by Hagos Gebrhiwet of Ethiopia, who finished just two hundredths of a second later at 14:08.18.

Also making it to the final were Graham Blanks from the USA, Hugo Hay from France, and Thomas Fafard from Canada.

In heat two, Ronald Kwemoi from Kenya clinched the sixth spot with a time of 13:52.51, securing his qualification for the final.

Leading the pack was Jakob Ingebrigtsen of Norway, who not only topped this heat with a time of 13:51.59 but also qualified for the final.

Hot on his heels was Biniam Mehary from Ethiopia, who also made it to the final with a finish time of 13:51.82. Close behind, Isaac Kimeli from Belgium clocked in at 13:52.18.

Other qualifiers included Grant Fisher from the USA, Oscar Chelimo from Uganda, Dawit Seare from Eritrea, and Addisu Yihune from Ethiopia.

The competition intensified with the absence of defending champion Joshua Cheptegei from Uganda, who, along with his compatriot Kiplimo, opted out of the 5000m race after failing to recover in time due to fatigue from the grueling 10,000m final in which Cheptegei won gold and set a new record.

This withdrawal has opened up the field for the Kenyan trio who are now viewed as strong contenders for the title.