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Cheptegei has revealed the next step in his career after clinching gold in the 10000 meters of the Paris 2024 Olympics.
Joshua Cheptegei, the new Olympic 10,000-meter champion, has shared his future plans following his latest triumph at the Paris 2024 Games.
The Ugandan distance-running sensation, already a three-time world champion and world record holder, clocked an impressive 26 minutes and 43.14 seconds to set a new Olympic record, surpassing the previous mark set by Ethiopian legend Kenenisa Bekele at the 2008 Beijing Olympics.
Cheptegei’s victory in Paris was particularly satisfying, as it came after his silver-medal performance in the same event at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics. The 27-year-old had previously won gold in the 5,000 meters in Tokyo but had been eager to add the 10,000-meter title to his illustrious list of achievements.
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"I've wanted this for a long time. When I took silver in Tokyo, I was disappointed. I wanted just to win the 10,000m,” Cheptegei told the media after the race. "It took a lot of courage. It's really amazing; this one was still missing. Three times world champion, now I can add the Olympic title to this."
The race was a closely contested battle, with Ethiopia's Berihu Aregawi narrowly edging out American Grant Fisher for the silver medal, both finishing just fractions of a second behind Cheptegei.
Cheptegei’s journey to this gold was not without its challenges. After a disappointing marathon performance earlier in the year, where he finished well outside the top positions, Cheptegei decided to return to the track for one last attempt at the 10,000 meters—a decision that ultimately proved to be golden.
“I was really prepared to run at a world-record pace today because I was in world-record shape,” Cheptegei revealed. “I remember one time when I was at the Los Angeles Grand Prix and I met Lord Sebastian Coe, and he told me he would be counting on me for the 10k.
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"That was motivation for me because I literally came back from the marathon and was juggling between road racing and track running.”
Cheptegei’s ability to bounce back from setbacks has been a hallmark of his career. Reflecting on his journey, he said, "I take disappointments aside and use them to build something special, and I come up with something right. I want to thank God, my training coaches, management, and these guys who always make me go stronger.”
Having cemented his legacy on the track with multiple world titles and now two Olympic gold medals, Cheptegei has revealed that his next chapter will be focused on road racing.
“The 10k is more stacked than ever. These guys are running 26:12. Everybody is strong, so it can be anybody’s race. Huge respect for these guys, but maybe it is now time for me to shift focus to the roads,” Cheptegei announced.
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10:41 - 03.08.2024
American sprint icon makes damning women's 100m prediction with regards to Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce and Sha'Carri Richardson
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He hinted that the Paris Games might be his last appearance on the track, stating, “I have won everything there is to be won, and I think this is my last Olympics and track and field race. I am sure track and field is in good hands with Grant [Fisher] and Berihu [Aregawi], and I am sure we will have more exciting moments in the future as well.”
For Cheptegei, the decision to transition from track to road racing marks the end of an era.
"It has been 10 years of great impact, and something special must come to an end. I have to find new challenges,” he said, leaving fans and the athletics world eager to see what the next phase of his career will bring.
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