Zzina Awards winner

Cheptegei was the 5000 metres and 10,000 metres champion at the 2018 Commonwealth Games. He won silver in the 10,000 metres and gold in the 5,000 metres at the 2020 Summer Olympics. 

Uganda’s world record holder Joshua Cheptegei showed he had learned his Olympic lesson as he delivered a tactical masterclass to win a second successive world 10,000 metres gold in a superb race on Sunday.

Last year in Tokyo Cheptegei kept his powder dry until the bell, only to be outkicked by Selemon Barega. On Sunday with over a kilometre to go, throwing in laps of 64 and 63 seconds to stretch a group of eight as they hit the bell.

Cheptegei was strong enough to hold the field off and come home in 27:27.43 minutes. Kenya’s Stanley Mburu, who took a heavy fall on the first lap, recovered well to finish second in 27:27.90. Jacob Kiplimo, 21, who was third in Tokyo, claimed another bronze for Uganda in 27:27.97.

Fast-finishing Grant Fisher just ran out of track in his bid to win a first medal in the event for the United States, finishing fourth, with Ethiopia’s Olympic champion Barega unable to repeat his Tokyo fireworks as he ended up fifth.

Zzina Awards winner

Cheptegei, who also took a silver in the event in 2017 and who won Olympic gold over 5,000m last year, will now attempt the elusive double when going again over 5,000 later in the week in Eugene.

There were eight men still in contention at the bell, at which point Cheptegei who had dictated most of the pace from the front since halfway regained the lead and steadfastly remained.