Paris Olympics: Gudaf Tsegay withdraws from 10,000m race

Gudaf Tsegay’s hopes of emulating Dutch athlete Sifan Hassan by competing in three track events at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games seem to have been dealt a huge blow, according to a Friday announcement by her coach Hluf Yidhego.

Tsegay, who was expected to compete in the 1500m, 5,000m and 10,000m races as per the Ethiopian Athletics Federation, is now said to have withdrawn from the latter, leaving her with only two events to participate in.

The decision, made public by Yidhego, who also rounds up as Tsegay’s husband, has however not given a reason behind it.

“The hero Gudaf Tsegay who won two medals in one World Championship in 5000m (gold) and (1500m) silver, even though (she) has the ability to compete in 3 distances in the Olympics to raise the name of her country, has asked the Ethiopian athletics federation to compete in two distances,” Yidhego wrote on Facebook. “She will only compete in the 1500m and 5000m according to what they have arranged for her.”

It is speculated that the decision to withdraw stems from a tight athletics schedule that would have limited her chances of winning all races.

As per the order of events in Paris, participation in all events would have meant no rest day between the beginning of the women’s 5000m heats on Friday 2 August, to the 1500m final on Saturday 10 August.

In an ideal situation, the only rest day would have been on Wednesday 7 August, assuming that she safely qualified through the 1500m heats without need for a repechage.

Paris Olympics: Gudaf Tsegay dares Kipyegon, eyes tripple

The 10,000m race - which needs no heats - is scheduled for a Friday 9 August final, which is a day before the 1500m final (less than 24 hours) and following the 1500m semifinals.

At the Tokyo Olympics, Tsegay, 27, only contested the 5000m and earned a bronze medal.

Hassan, on the other hand in 2021, attempted the triple and came away with gold medals in the 5000m and 10,000m, and a bronze medal in the 1500m.