Time to torch up Tokyo as three Ugandans eager to bring it home today

Joshua Cheptegei and Jacob Kiplimo racing at the World Athletics Half Marathon in Poland. Today, the duo holds Uganda’s flag and last hopes of a medal in the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, where they  are competing in the 10,000m marathon. PHOTO/FILE

What you need to know:

  • Showtime. Cheptegei, Kiplimo pursue Olympic gold with Kissa happy to play secondary role for the enterprising pair.
  • Never in history of these Games, has a Ugandan gone into an Olympic event a favourite.

Here comes the long-awaited moment! Personally, I marked this date on my calendar some 90 days ago. At 8:30pm tonight in Japan’s capital, same as 2:30pm in Kampala, Uganda will look to salvage its moment when Joshua Cheptegei lines-up for the men’s 10000m final during the second session of Day One of athletics at the Tokyo Olympics.

Never in history of these Games, has a Ugandan gone into an Olympic event a favourite. So neither the country nor Cheptegei can blink for this when 25 men line-up for the gun inside the empty National Stadium.

Golden memories
The late John Akii-Bua started in lane 1 before stunning the field to win the 400m hurdles gold with a world record of 47.82 seconds at the Munich Games on September 2, 1972. Come closer to August 12, 2012, many citizens had foregone the London Olympics but on that last day, with hours to the closing ceremony, Stephen Kiprotich out of the blue shocked Kenyans Abel Kirui and Wilson Kipsang to the marathon gold. Pure bliss!

But July 30, 2021 is a whole different chapter. Olympic gold is the only missing piece of silverware for the global long-distance running icon Cheptegei.

“I think it would be something that is so special for the country, for me as a person if I am to achieve by winning the gold medal,” Cheptegei said in a recent interview. “It would be something so spectacular, so awesome and a great achievement that should actually be celebrated because we have had the Olympic gold by Akii-Bua. We’ve also had the marathon gold, so I think it’s time for us to have one of the track (long-distance gold) medals,” he added.

 Cheptegei will line-up for the 25-lap final in company of counterparts Stephen Kissa and world half-marathon champion Jacob Kiplimo. 

Kololo ghosts
Picking up the favourite-tag line has brought its own pressure around Cheptegei’s spikes. Sixth in the final at the Rio 2016 Games, he had pain of losing the 2017 World Cross-country title in Kololo before exorcising those demons two years later in Aarhus, Denmark.

Cheptegei has then grabbed a 10000m silver at the 2017 London Worlds, a Commonwealth double at the 2018 Gold Coast Games in Australia before a marvellous 2019 where he got the world 10000m title, a 5000m Diamond League trophy plus a bonus 10km world record.

He’s had to wait for the moment for a year following the postponement of Games owing to the coronavirus.
Yet, he broke the 5000m and 10000m world records (WRs) last year to remain motivated but when the 24-year-old chose to try the 25-year-old 3000m WR mark, he missed it due to strong wind in Ostrava, Czech Republic on May 19.

Slow recovery
His body also appeared not to have recovered fully from Ostrava and misfired to lose the lead with 600m to go and finish a distant sixth at the Diamond League leg in Florence, Italy on June 10. Pressure cooker with Tokyo in sight!
 Since then, Cheptegei went into limbo with coach Addy Ruiter and assistant Denis Okudach, putting in a decent final shift before embarking on a 45-hour journey to Tokyo six days ago.

“Joshua is very well prepared and training has been going well in the last seven weeks,” said Ruiter.
 Whereas Cheptegei has a lot of pressure to impress and meet the country’s weight of expectation, Kiplimo, who is also gunning for gold, is rather relaxed.

“We are going to do something, me and Cheptegei,” said the youngster, who has won five of his last six races since the start of 2020.

Possible 1-2 finish 
For several months, Cheptegei and Kiplimo, who is ranked as world number one over the 10000m after running the seventh fastest time ever of 26:33.93 while winning in Ostrava, have been planning a possible 1-2 finish.

“Whether he wins or if I do, it depends on the body. My prayer is that I win or Joshua wins. If Joshua wins, then I come second and that will be the happiness for Uganda,” said the 20-year-old, who has not lost a race on track in three years.  

Action Time. Cheptegei (2nd R) and Kiplimo (L) will have to contend with strong opposition from elite nations. PHOTO/AFP

Some 90 minutes before Cheptegei, Kissa and Kiplimo show up, teenager Prisca Chemweno and Sarah Chelangat will feature in the women’s 5000m Heat 1. Esther Chebet will follow in Heat 2 with each of the trio targeting the top five places to advance to Monday’s final.

CHEPTEGEI BRIEFLY

Date of Birth: Sep 12, 1996
Age: 24
Olympics Appearance: 
2nd (Rio 2016, Tokyo 2020)
Discipline: Athletics
Event: Men’s 10000m & 5000m
Date: Jul 30 (Final) & Aug 3 (Heats)
Personal Bests: 26:11.00 & 12:35.36
Major Event(s): 2020 World Half-Marathon (4th), 2019 Doha Worlds (Gold 10000m), 2019 World Cross-country (Gold), 2018 Commonwealth Games (Gold 10000m & 5000m), 2017 London Worlds (Silver 10000m), 2017 World Cross-country, 2015 Beijing Worlds, 2015 Africa Juniors (Gold 10000m), 2015 Africa Champs, 2014 World U20 (Gold 10000m)

KISSA AT A GLANCE

Date of Birth: Dec 1, 1995
Age: 25
Olympics Appearance: 1st
Discipline: Athletics
Event: Men’s 10000m
Date: Jul 30 (Final)
Personal Best: 27:26.46
Major Event(s): 2020 World Half-Marathon, 2019 Doha Worlds, 2019 African Games, 2017 London Worlds, 2017 World Cross-country

KIPLIMO PROFILE

Date of Birth: Nov 14, 2000
Age: 20
Olympics Appearance: 
2nd (Rio 2016, Tokyo 2020)
Discipline: Athletics
Event: Men’s 10000m & 5000m
Date: Jul 30 (Final) & Aug 3 (Heats)
Personal Best: 26:33.93 & 12:48.63
Major Event(s): 2020 World Half-Marathon (Gold), 2019 World Cross-country (Silver), 2018 Commonwealth Games (4th 10000m), 2018 World U20 (Silver 10000m), 2017 World Cross-country (Gold 8km), 2016 World U20 (Bronze 10000m)