Ugandan Joshua Cheptegei achieved an impressive victory in the Olympic 10,000-meter race at Stade de France, where he overcame strong competition from Ethiopia. Cheptegei, who has already won three world championships, set a new Olympic record with a time of 26 minutes and 43.14 seconds. Ethiopia’s Berihu Aregawi finished in second place, narrowly ahead of American Grant Fisher by just two hundredths of a second, clocking in at 26:43.44. Cheptegei, who previously won a silver medal in Tokyo and a gold in the 5,000 meters, added another significant trophy to his impressive collection as he became the first runner to claim a gold medal on the track at this year’s Games.
The Ugandan athlete demonstrated his strength in the crucial final 600 meters, and his finishing time improved the previous Olympic record set by Ethiopia’s Kenenisa Bekele in 2008 by a full 18 seconds. Aregawi, who was part of a three-man Ethiopian lead group from the start of the race, also showed great strength as he finished strongly. A group of 13 runners stayed closely together for nearly two-thirds of the race, and remarkably, all finished under 27 minutes.
The first acceleration occurred after just two laps of the 25-lap race, with defending champion Selemon Barega from Ethiopia and his compatriot Yomif Kejelcha breaking the field. Despite this split in the 25-runner field, all competitors managed to maintain their pace. After the halfway mark, Aregawi and Kejelcha regained the lead, reducing the main pack to 15 runners. With ten laps remaining, Barega took charge, but Cheptegei and Fisher pushed their way through the field. As they entered the last kilometer, Aregawi took the lead, setting the stage for an exciting finish among the remaining 12 runners.
As the clock approached the last 400 meters, Cheptegei surged to the front and maintained his lead to the finish line. Barega finished in seventh place with a time of 26:44.48, while Aregawi secured the silver medal. Cheptegei’s triumph marked the first medal event at the French national stadium.
On the same day, the American team broke their own world record in the mixed 4×400-meter relay. They crossed the finish line in 3 minutes and 7.41 seconds amidst a celebratory atmosphere. The previous record was 3:08.80 from the World Championships in Budapest in 2023. Team USA, showcasing a dominant performance, excelled in a fast field during the initial heats, where they also broke several national records. “I always knew we would run fast, and we talked about how it would take a record to win a medal,” stated American Shamier Little.
The French team was supported over the finish line by an enthusiastic home crowd, finishing in second place with a time of 3:10.60.