Prime
Cheptegei, Kiplimo, Chemutai arrive in Paris
Benjamin Njia, Jacob Kiplimo, Pertuh Chemutai, Joshua Cheptegei, Joy Cheptoyek in the Games Village. PHOTO/COURTESY
What you need to know:
Uganda has garnered 11 medals in Olympic history, seven of these including all the four golds, coming from athletics.
Joshua Cheptegei arrived in the French capital for the Paris Olympics on Tuesday. Cheptegei is Uganda’s best bet for a medal at these Games when he lines-up for the men’s 10000m final on Friday night.
“He is good,” said coach Benjamin Njia. The reigning 5000m champion Cheptegei arrived in company of Jacob Kiplimo and Peruth Chemutai.
The trio above all won a combined four medals at the last Olympics in Japan three years ago. Kiplimo pocketed 10000m bronze, Chemutai won 3000m steeplechase gold while Cheptegei also had the 10000m silver medal.
They all will be featuring at a third Olympics in a row, a stretch from the Rio 2016 Games in Brazil. The 5000m and 10000m world record holder Cheptegei plans to bow out of the track business to marathon running with the 10000m gold medal at the Stade de France.
It implies Cheptegei, two-reigning World Cross-country champion Kiplimo and youngster Martin Kiprotich, will each have at least 72 hours within Paris before the 25-lap final.
“It will just be physiotherapy and some small runs,” stated Njia. There were plans to check out the Stade de France last evening, according to media attaché John Barnes Ssentamu.
Chemutai, who has been the fastest over her event in the world this year, will line-up in the steeplechase Heats on Sunday morning.
Kiprotich arrived in Paris on Monday, in company of Joy Cheptoyek, Belinda Chemutai and Esther Chebet. The aforementioned female trio will compete in the women’s 5000m Heats on Friday.
Meanwhile, the quartet of Halimah Nakaayi, Tarsis Orogot, Leonard Chemutai and Winnie Nanyondo as well as Cheptegei’s coach Addy Ruiter were expected in the Games’ Village last evening.
The quintet travelled from Dutch city Nijmegen. Athletics has contributed 21 out of 25 competitors for Team Uganda at these Games.
Uganda has garnered 11 medals in Olympic history, seven of these including all the four golds, coming from athletics.
UGANDA’S MEDALS AT OLYMPICS
1968 Mexico City: Eridadi Mukwanga (Bantamweight Silver)
1968 Mexico City: Leo Rwabwogo (Flyweight Bronze)
1972 Munich: John Akii-Bua (400m Hurdles Gold)
1972 Munich: Leo Rwabwogo (Flyweight Silver)
1980 Moscow: John Mugabi (Welterweight Silver)
1996 Atlanta: Davis Kamoga (400m Bronze)
2012 London: Stephen Kiprotich (Marathon Gold)
2020 Tokyo: Joshua Cheptegei (10000m Silver)
2020 Tokyo: Jacob Kiplimo (10000m Bronze)
2020 Tokyo: Peruth Chemutai (3000m Steeplechase Gold)
2020 Tokyo: Joshua Cheptegei (5000m Gold)
