Joshua Cheptegei Wins Olympic 10000m Gold with Record-Breaking Performance

Joshua Cheptegei of Uganda, the reigning 5000m champion from the Tokyo Olympics, clinched the 10000m gold at the Paris Olympics on Friday night, further embellishing his impressive career. Cheptegei captured victory with a record-setting Olympic Games time of 26:43.14 during a dramatic final lap.

As the race unfolded, Berihu Aregawi from Ethiopia moved to the lead after 23 minutes, as Ahmed, Kejelcha and Fisher were near the front of the pack. Twelve athletes remained in contention with two laps to go.  

Cheptegei went to the front with 600 metres to go after a very fast race and extended his lead. Aregawi, Ahmed, Fisher, Kiplimo and Kejelcha tried to catch up the pace with Cheptegei. 

Aregawi, who had finished fourth at the Tokyo Olympics and last year's World Championships, launched his sprint down the home straight and edged Fisher in the final stages to claim the silver medal in 26:43.14. Grant Fisher earned the bronze medal in a seasonal best of 26:43.46 to win the first medal for the USA at the Olympic Games since Galen Rupp’s silver in London 2012. 

Joshua Cheptegei: “I can’t describe the feeling. I have wanted this for a long time. When I took silver in Tokyo. I was disappointed I wanted just to win the 10000m. It’s the dream of young people to achieve what they want to achieve in life. Barely 16 years ago when I was watching the great Kenenisa Bekele win in Beijing, it was something that grew in my heart”. 

The first 13 athletes dipped under the previous Olympic record. Yomif Kejelcha from Ethiopia with 26:44.02 ahead of Selemon Bareba (26:44.48) and Jacob Kiplimo (26:46.39). National records were set by Thierry Ndikumenayo from Spain (26:49.49), Adrian Wildshutt from South Africa (26:50.64) and Jimmy Gressier from France (26:58.67). 

The men's 10000m final was exceptionally competitive, with the top six runners finishing within one second of each other, adding to the race's intensity.

• See Full Results Here

Men's 10000m Final Top 10 Results

Other Highlights from Day 2

4x400 mixed relay heats: 

The US 4x400 mixed relay quartet formed by Vernon Norwood, Shamier Little, Bryce Deadmon and Kaylin Brown broke the world record with 3:07.41. They took more than one second off the previous world record set last year when the USA won the world title in Budapest. 

Norwood clocked 44.47 to put the US team into an early lead. Little extended it on the second leg in 49.32, the fastest time of any woman in the first round. Deadmon ran the third leg with 44.17 before Brown anchored her team with a leg in 49.45 to finish more than three seconds ahead of France (Muhammad Abdallah Kounta, Louise Maraval, Teo Andant and Amandine Brossier), who set the national record of 3:10.60. Belgium (Jonathan Sacoor, Helena Ponette, Kevin Borlée and Naomi Van den Broeck) qualified with a national record of 3:10.74). 

Shamier Little: “We talked about it and I was going to take a record to get a medal,  but it took record to our preliminary round”. 

Vernon Norwood: “We knew what it would take to break the world record. Our job is just to come out and execute. Hopefully tomorrow we do it again”. 

Women’s 100 metres heats: 

African record holder Marie Josée Ta Lou clocked the fastest time in the 100 metres heats with 10.87 beating two-time Olympic champion Shelly Ann Fraser Pryce (10.92) and 2022 Gina Luckenkemper (11.08). 

World champion Sha’Carri Richardson stormed to a win in 10.94 in the first 100 metres heat ahead of European finalist Patrizia Van der Weken from Luxembourg (11.14).  

World indoor 60 metres champion Julien Alfred won the second heat in 10.95 ahead of Zoe Hobbs (11.08) and Italian record holder Zaynab Dosso (11.30). 

European 200 metres silver medallist Daryll Neita from Great Britain won the third heat in a seasonal best of 10.92 ahead of Melissa Jefferson (10”96). 

Audrey Leduc from Canada took the win in the fourth heat improving the national record with 10.95. Jamaica’s Tia Clayton took second place with 11.00. 

Men’s shot put qualifying round: 

European champion Leonardo Fabbri from Italy needed three rounds to qualify for the final with the best mark of the day of 21.76m. Fabbri started the qualifying round with 20.44 and a foul and was 13th after the first two rounds. Tomas Stanek achieved the second best mark of 21.61m ahead of Payton Otterdahl (21.52m) and Ryan Crouser (21.49m). 

Leonardo Fabbri: “I made the mistake to underestimate the qualifying round. During the warm-up I felt tired. I was a lion without hunger. I managed to throw the qualifying mark in the third attempt showing once again my best qualities but it would be easy to lose the focus. I dream a great result in the final. I want to give some special to my city Florence”. 

Men’s decathlon: 

Leo Neugebauer from Germany leads the overall standings in the men’s decathlon after three events with 2876 points. 

Damian Warner ran the fastest time in the third heat of the 100 metres with 10.25 ahead of Ayden Owens Delerme from Puerto Rico (10.35). Markus Rooth from Norway won the first heat in a PB of 10.71 beating his compatriot Sander Skotheim (10.78). USA’s Harrisson Williams took the win in the second heat in 10.62 beating Johannes Erm (10.64). Two-time NCAA decathlon champion Leo Neugebauer started with 10.67 in the 100 metres (six hundredths of a second shy of his PB)

Skotheim won the long jump improving his PB to 8.03m. Neugebauer finished second in the long jump with 7.98m 

France’s Mackenson Gletty took the win in the shot put with 16.64m ahead of Neugebauer (16.55m). 

Heath Baldwin cleared 2.17m to win the high jump. Skotheim placed second with 2.11m. Johannes Erm improved his PB to 2.08m. 

Owens Delerme clocked the fastest time in the 400 metres with 46.17 ahead of Sven Roosen (46.40) and Harrison Williams (46.71). Skotheim won the second heat setting a PB of 47.02. Gletty and Rooth improved their PB to 47.48 and 47.69. Neugebauer set his seasonal best to end the first day in the lead with 4650 ahead of Owens Delerme (4608), Skotheim (4588) and Warner (4561). 

Women’s 800 metres heats: 

Tsige Duguma from Ethiopia ran the fastest overall time in the women’s 800 metres with 1:57.90 beating world champion Mary Moraa (1:57.95) and Shafiqua Maloney (1:58.23 national record). Worknesh Mesele from Ethiopia won the second heat in 1:58.59 ahead of Phoebe Gill (1:58.83). Italian champion Eloisa Coiro improved her PB to 1:59.26. Natoya Goule Toppin from Jamaica won the sixth heat in 1:58.66 holding off Australian 19-year-old Claudia Hollingsworth (1:58.77) and Lilian Odira (1:58.83). Olympic silver medallist Keely Hollingsworth won the fourth heat in 1:59.31 beating US Trials champion Nia Akins (1:59.67).

Women’s discus throw: 

Reigning Olympic champion Valarie Allman achieved the best qualifying mark with 69.59m. Three more athletes threw beyond the 65 metres barrier: Sandra Elkasevic (65.63m), Bin Feng (65.40m) and Vanessa Kamga (65.14).  

Women’s triple jump qualifying round: 

Leyanis Perez Hernandez set the furthest mark in the qualifying round in the women’s triple jump with 14.68m. Six more jumpers reached the automatic qualifying mark: Shanieka Ricketts (14.47m), Jasmine Moore (14.43 seasonal best), Lladagmis Povea (14.39m), Ana Peleteiro Compaoré (14.36m), Dariya Derkach (14.36m) and Thea Lafond (14.35m). 

Women’s 5000 metres heats: 

Olympic and world champion Faith Kipyegon won the first women’s 5000 metres heat in 14:57.56 ahead of double 5000m and 10000m Olympic champion Sifan Hassan from the Netherlands (14:57.65) and European gold medallist Nadia Battocletti from Italy (14:57.65). 

World 10000m record holder Beatrice Chebet crossed the finish-line first in the second heat in 15:00.73 ahead of 19-year-old Medina Eisa (15:00.82), Rose Davies (15:00.86) and European half marathon champion Karoline Bjerkeli Grovdal (15:01.14). 

Men’s 1500 metres heats: 

World champion Josh Kerr from Great Britain won the first 1500 metres heat in 3:35.83 ahead of Brian Komen from Kenya (3:36.31) and world bronze medallist Narve Gilje Nordas from Norway (3:36.41). 

Ermias Girma from Ethiopia won a close race in the second heat with the fastest qualifying time of 3:35.21 holding off US Cole Hooker (3:35.27) and Italian record holder Pietro Arese (3:35.30). 

Stefan Nillessen from the Netherlands took a surprising win in the third heat in 3:36.77 ahead of Hobbs Kessler (3:36.87) and reigning Olympic champion Jakob Ingebrigtsen (3:37.04). 

Women’s high jump qualifying mark: 

Thirteen athletes have advanced to the final of the women’s high jump. World champion and record holder Yaroslava Mahuchik and Nicola Olyslagers had a clean sheet clearing all heights until 1.95m in the first attempt. 

Angelina Topic injured her ankle and had her foot heavily taped but she cleared 1.92m to reach the final. 

Men’s hammer throw qualifying round: 

Ethan Katzberg from Canada, world champion in Budapest 2023, achieved the top qualifying result of 79.93m in the men’s hammer throw qualifying round ahead of his compatriot Rowan Hamilton (77.78m).