Paris Olympics: Krop, Kwemoi and Kurgat tasked with ending Kenya's wait for second 5000m gold
.jpg)
Reading Time: 3min | Mon. 29.07.24. | 07:50
John Ngugi won Kenya’s first and last Olympic gold during the 1988 Seoul Games
Kenyan athletes have dominated the middle and long-distance races during global championships for a very long time.
It is always a sure bet for Kenyan athletes to medal in such races even though the dominance, enjoyed decades ago, has reduced significantly in recent years due to several factors.
Much as Kenya remains the country to beat in middle and long-distance races, the men’s Olympic 5000m event gives its athletes nightmares.
John Ngugi won Kenya’s first and last Olympic gold, during the 1988 Seoul Games.
The last time the country won an Olympic medal in the race was in London when Thomas Longosiwa bagged bronze. Eliud Kipchoge mined silver during the 2008 Beijing Games.
Trio tasked to deliver in Paris
All eyes will be on the trio of; Jacob Krop, Edwin Kurgat, and Ronald Kwemoi who will all be tasked with bringing home the gold against all odds.
Despite his young age, Krop is quite experienced having managed podium finishes in two successive World Championships, and will hope to lead his compatriots in breaking Kenya’s long wait for second gold in the race.
The world bronze medalist, will be debuting in the Games having, missed the ticket to the Tokyo Games where Kenya was represented by; Nicholas Kimeli, Daniel Ebenyo and Samwel Masai.
Krop, missed the Tokyo Games as he, was sitting for his Kenya Secondary School Education (KCSE) exams and further, had placed fourth in the trials, automatically locking him out.
The former world silver medalist will enjoy the company of national champion Ronald Kwemoi and Edwin Kurgat in Paris.
Kwemoi last represented the country during the 2019 world championships in Doha, finishing seventh in the 1500m race, which was won by Timothy Cheruiyot.
The world U20 1500m record holder had unsuccessfully tried his luck in having his way to the 10000m team during the Prefontaine Classic, only to reign supreme in the 5000m trials at Nyayo Stadium.
The 2014 Commonwealth Games silver medalist placed a disappointing 10th at the Prefontaine Classic whose winners got tickets to Paris.
While Krop and Kurgat will be debuting at the Olympics, Kwemoi will be making a return, having debuted in Rio where he finished 13th in the 1500m final.
Strong field in Paris
The three Kenyans face a massive task in dethroning the defending champion and the record-chasing Joshua Cheptegei of Uganda.
.jpg)
Cheptegei heads to Paris on a mission to become the third man in history to win back-to-back Olympic 1500m golds after Lasse Viren and Mo Farah.
Save from Cheptegei, another Ugandan Jacob Kiplimo and world 5000m champion Jakob Ingebrigtsen are some of the strong candidates for the gold.
Kiplimo was fifth at this distance in Tokyo three years ago and clinched bronze in the 10000m race.
The Ethiopian charge is led by 2016 bronze medallist Hagos Gebrhiwet, who won in Oslo earlier this year in a national record of 12:36.73, making him the second-fastest man in history.
He’ll be keen to become the fourth Ethiopian man to win an Olympic 5000m title after Miruts Yifter (1980), Million Wolde (2000), and Kenenisa Bekele (2008).
At just 17 years of age, Biniam Mehary will be contesting his second global championship of the year.
The Ethiopian reached the world indoor 1500m final earlier this year, then went on to set PBs of 12:54.10 for 5000m and 26:37.93 for 10,000m during the outdoor season.
World U20 champion Addisu Yihune, meanwhile, will be making his senior championships debut following a 12:49.65 PB in Oslo.
Olympic 10,000m champion Selemon Barega is Ethiopia’s reserve in the 5000m.
The entries also include Canada’s Mohammed Ahmed, the silver medallist in Tokyo three years ago, Guatemala’s Luis Grijalva, Spain’s Thierry Ndikumwenayo, European 10,000m champion Dominic Lokinyomo Lobalu, USA’s Grant Fisher, Bahrain’s Birhanu Balew, and Swedish record-holder Andreas Almgren.
Additional Reporting by World Athletics
.jpg)
