Tokyo silver showed Cheptegei is just human, says Otuchet
Express communications officer Peter Tabu after picking Muzamiru Mutyaba’s award as the best football player in August. Photo | George katongole
What you need to know:
- But it has emerged Cheptegei was not in the best shape as he settled for silver in the 10,000 metres behind Ethiopian youngster Selemon Barega.
Many expected Joshua Cheptegei to go for a gold double by winning the 5,000 and 10,000-metre races at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics which had been postponed because of the coronavirus pandemic.
But it has emerged Cheptegei was not in the best shape as he settled for silver in the 10,000 metres behind Ethiopian youngster Selemon Barega.
His country mate Jacob Kiplimo took the final place on the podium.
Speaking at the monthly ForteBet Real Stars Awards on Tuesday in Lugogo, Kampala, Uganda Athletics Federation President Dominic Otuchet said he was disappointed that the 24-year-old did not win a double gold.
“We all expected Cheptegei and Kiplimo to win gold and silver because they had the best times going into the Olympics,” Otuchet said, prideing in the four-medal haul at the Olympics which placed Uganda second behind Kenya in Africa. David Emong later added the fifth winning bronze at the Paralympic Games.
Cheptegei, who broke Kenenisa Bekele’s 15-year-old 10,000m record in Valencia with a time of 26:11.00, was favourite for gold while Kiplimo posted the fastest ever time in Ostrava, Czech Republic ahead of the Olympics.
Cheptegei, who was unsatisfied with the result, led the race briefly before dropping back into the pack and Barega seized his chance surging on the last lap to secure his surprise victory in 27 minutes 43.22 seconds ahead of the world champion Cheptegei in 27:43.63.
“Although people have given him names like superman, that race showed that Joshua is actually human. Winning a medal at that level is not easy because all the athletes that go there go for gold and winning is not automatic. They have to struggle for it and Joshua indeed struggled for it. He missed out in the first run and perfected in the second one,” Otucet said.
Lost appetite
Another gold medallist, Peruth Chemutai, had her own share of challenges.
On Tuesday evening, she was recognised with a lifetime achievement award that was picked by her teammate Mercyline Chelangat, a 2018 Commonwealth bronze medallist.
Chemutai is away in Europe to take part in the final leg of the Wanda Diamond League.
According to Otuchet, Chemutai lost appetite for food ahead of the semis and the final and almost ran on an empty stomach.
Whether it was because of anxiety or not, Otuchet could not tell but he encouraged the Uganda Prisons Club athlete to take juice for her energy reserves.
“It was as if the gold medal sucked out all the appetite from her. No wonder when she went to Oregon, she did not run well. But I know in the Diamond League final she is going to perform well,” Otuhcet said.
“We knew she was good enough for a medal and we expected her to vie for either a silver or a bronze but after her first round race when she posted the second best time in the heats, I personally told her she was good enough for gold. She had just told me that she was relaxed in the heats because her target was to qualify for the final.”
Chemutai is Uganda’s first woman to win a gold medal at the Olympics since 1956 when the country first sent representatives.
Other winners
Express FC midfielder Muzamiru Mutyaba and Silverbacks’ forward Ishmail Wainwright were the other winners at the monthly awards graced by ForteBet brand ambassador comedian Alex Muhangi.
Mutyaba, who scored thrice at the Kagame Cecafa Cup in Tanzania, beat teammates Martin Kizza and goalkeeper of the tournament Joel Mutakubwa to the prestigious award while Wainwright was preferred ahead of Deng Geu and Juma Seiko as Uganda excelled at the 2021 Afro Basket championships in Rwanda.
