Cheptegei revenge

Olympic 5000m champion Joshua Cheptegei will take a deserved break after a rigorous year as a satisfied man after he scored vital points in winning the two-mile run during the Eugene Diamond League in the US on Saturday.

Cheptegei displayed marks of a prolific athlete by beating a field of 16 men that included Olympic 10000m champion Selemon Barega in a world lead (WL) time of eight minutes and 9.55 seconds in front of an electric atmosphere at the Hayward Field in Oregon.
“It feels so good to come back and run the two-mile in Oregon,” Cheptegei said after repeating his feat of 2019.

“It really means a lot to me to win here in Oregon and it will always be in my heart,” added the man who turns 25 next month.

The 5000m and 10000m world record holder was comfortable over the eight-lap race despite not having enough time to prepare. He popped out his tongue, had his arms spread wide and even chest-thumped before hitting the black Nike tape after a big statement of intent.

Sweet revenge
Beating Barega was Cheptegei’s first achievement after the Ethiopian shocked Ugandans to the 25-lap Olympic title three weeks ago at the Tokyo 2020 Games in Japan.

In Oregon, Cheptegei offered Barega no chance, none whatsoever. “He showed that it was a mistake for Barega to beat in Tokyo,” said his coach Addy Ruiter.

By the bell, Cheptegei was leading and he didn’t look back. As Barega chased to get an eventual second place in 8:09.82, Olympic 10000m bronze medallist Jacob Kiplimo too had gone past another Ethiopian Berihu Aregawai in third.

But the 20-year-old finished fourth with 8:10.16 because home boy Paul Chelimo had surged in the final stretch to take third place in 8:09.83.

Cheptegei, who later afforded to sign a couple of autographs, will go into 2022 pretty confident of defending his 10000m title at the World Championships at the Hayward Field next July.

Little prep time

Meanwhile, 3000m steeplechase Olympic champion Peruth Chemutai must have rued the little time for preparation after she came seventh in 9:10.87 as Kenyan Norah Jeruto, who is waiting to switch allegiance to Kazakhstan, won in a meeting record time of 8:53.65.

“Because of the pacer [Rosefline Chepngetich], Peruth was not running in her rhythm and didn’t pass the barriers in a smooth way,” noted Ruiter.
Olympic silver medallist American Courtney Frerichs set an area record of 8:57.77 in second whereas Hyvin Kiyeng, like in Tokyo, came third in 9:00.05.

In the women’s 800m, world champion Halimah Nakaayi posted a respectable 1:58.78 in sixth but Oregon came too soon for her too. “She is much better than she showed in Tokyo,” added Ruiter.
Olympic champion American Athing Mu ran solo after the bell to power to a WL, MR and national record of 1:55.04.

In the women’s 1500m, Winnie Nanyondo fought off a determined group to settle for fourth in 4:00.72 in a race Olympic champion Kenyan Faith Kipyegon broke away early to post a MR time of 3:53.23.
Both Nakaayi and Nakaayi scored vital points in the quest for slots to the Diamond League finals.

[email protected]