In a dramatic turn of events at the Paris 2024 Olympics, Faith Kipyegon of Kenya was initially disqualified from the women’s 5000m final, only to be reinstated to her silver medal position after an immediate appeal by Athletics Kenya. The race, held on Monday, August 5, was filled with tension and controversy as Kipyegon was deemed to have obstructed Ethiopia’s Gudaf Tsegay during the penultimate lap.
Kenya’s Beatrice Chebet emerged victorious, clinching the gold medal with a time of 14:28.56 after a powerful sprint in the final stretch. Kipyegon crossed the finish line second but faced disqualification for the incident with Tsegay, much to the disbelief of commentators, fellow athletes, and spectators. Eurosport commentators were vocal about the decision, with Tim Hutchings expressing that Tsegay leaned in on Kipyegon, which led to the collision.
Following the appeal, World Athletics reviewed the footage and overturned the disqualification, reinstating Kipyegon to her silver medal position. Sifan Hassan of the Netherlands, who was initially promoted to silver, was returned to bronze. Italy’s Nadia Battocletti, briefly on the podium, was relegated back to fourth place.
Chebet’s victory and Kipyegon’s reinstatement capped a thrilling race that saw the top contenders battle fiercely. The race featured the three fastest women in history over the distance: defending champion Hassan, reigning world champion Kipyegon, and world record holder Tsegay. However, it was Chebet who managed to outpace them all, securing her place in Olympic history.
The controversy began in the closing stages of the race, with Kipyegon and Chebet kicking clear of Hassan. Kipyegon and Tsegay’s collision led to Kipyegon’s temporary disqualification. The appeal, led by Kenya’s team officials Milka Chemos, Bernard Ouma, and team manager Peter Angwenyi, was successful, as announced on Athletics Kenya’s social media.
“Congratulations to Faith Kipyegon, her silver medal has been reinstated,” read the statement from Athletics Kenya.
Hassan, despite the confusion, remained gracious, expressing her hope that Kipyegon would not lose her medal. “I’m happy with the bronze medal and I hope that she [Kipyegon] doesn’t lose her silver medal,” Hassan told Eurosport Netherlands.
Hassan, who has a packed schedule at Paris 2024, will next compete in the 10,000m defense on August 9 before taking on the women’s marathon on the closing Sunday.
Sources
