Kenya’s Beatrice Chebet clinched the Olympic gold in the women’s 5,000 meters at Paris 2024, outpacing her compatriot Faith Kipyegon in a race filled with unexpected twists and turns. Chebet’s victory came as she crossed the finish line in a remarkable 14 minutes and 28.56 seconds.

The race was not without controversy. Kipyegon, initially awarded the silver medal, faced disqualification due to an alleged obstruction during a clash with Ethiopia’s Gudaf Tsegay. This decision temporarily stripped her of her medal, sparking immediate reactions and a successful appeal by the Kenyan team.

The Controversial Clash

The drama unfolded when Kipyegon, a reigning world champion, made a decisive move to the front with four laps remaining. However, an incident with Tsegay led to her initial disqualification.

Chebet, demonstrating remarkable composure, stayed close to Kipyegon and seized the opportunity to sprint to gold in the final stretch.

Kipyegon’s disqualification saw the Netherlands’ Sifan Hassan and Italy’s Nadia Battocletti being promoted to silver and bronze respectively.

However, the Kenyan team promptly appealed the decision, arguing that Kipyegon’s actions were a defensive response to Tsegay’s encroachment into her lane.

Successful Appeal and Reinstatement

Chebet remained optimistic during the appeal, confident that Kipyegon would be reinstated. “It wasn’t Faith’s fault,” she told reporters. “I was behind them and saw Gudaf try to get into Faith’s lane. Faith just tried to avoid stepping out of the track.”

Nearly two hours after the race, the appeal was successful. World Athletics officials reviewed the incident and ruled that it did not justify a disqualification. Kipyegon was reinstated, securing her silver medal, while Hassan accepted the bronze with grace, stating her satisfaction with the outcome.

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Kenya’s Medal Haul and Kipyegon’s Focus

The reinstatement of Kipyegon added to Kenya’s impressive medal tally at the Games. Earlier, Mary Moraa secured a bronze in the women’s 800 meters, further highlighting the nation’s athletic prowess.

Kipyegon, now with a silver medal, remains focused on her next challenge: defending her title in the women’s 1500 meters. Scheduled to compete in the heats the following morning, Kipyegon expressed her enthusiasm for competing in both events at the Olympics for the first time. “I wanted to run both races because I like it,” she said. “I step on the track and just run my race, we will see what is possible.”