By 
Happy ever afters do exist in sport but in a very minimalistic manner, when the result just feels right and it couldn’t have ended any better.
Like Lionel Messi finally lifting the world Cup in Qatar, and after giving so much joy to the sports world, some moments seem to be more than another win for the athlete but rather the game rewarding one of its favourite sons!
Even before the Paris 2024 Olympics men’s 10,000m final started inside the stade De France on Friday night, One man stood tall as the greatest athlete to ever carry his nation’s flag.
Joshua Cheptegei winning gold in France further stamped his position atop Uganda’s history books. He has now won three of his country’s 12 total medal tally in all editions.
There was doubt about how he could perform heading into the race, he was yet to run the 10k this year and his last track race had ended in a disappointing 9th finish at the Oslo Diamond League in may.
But his whole career has been defined by this, proving doubters wrong; “When I was 9th in Oslo everyone said Cheptegei is gone, I use disappointments to build up to something special and I’ve always gotten it right.” – Joshua speaking in a press conference moments after his Olympic gold triumph.
He has come from even worse positions and yet defied all odds to be the very best, like that famous false finish on home soil during the 2017 worldcross country champions in kololo.
Besides a neck filled with glitter, history at this particular event and recent form didn’t favour Cheptegei.
All the six fastest times this year were run by Ethiopians who had swept all the 10k gold since Atlanta 1996, only until great Britain’s Mo Farah snikked in with London 2012 and Rio 2016 holds but Selemon Barega had reinstated that dominance at the previous edition in Tokyo where he was followed two Ugandans on the podium Cheptegei and Jacob Kiplimo.
“I’ve waited a long time for this, when I took silver in Tokyo, I was disappointed. I wanted just to win the 10,000m.” He had arrived in Tokyo as a world champion.
There was no room for error last night when he stepped onto the starting line as a three time back-to-back world champion and the World record holder for both 10 and 5k.
But still wasn’t in a hurry to prove, he spent the first quarter of the race slightly behind the middle pack that had teammate Kiplimo upfront and a leading pack that had an Ethiopian 1-2-3 in Berihu Aregawi Yomif Kejelcha and Selemon Barega, the trio kept taking turns and looked determined to own the race But with about 21min to go Cheptegei closed in, not at the front but right within the middle pack simply to let his presence be felt and keep within striking distance.
Heading into the final lap, Cheptegei took the lead and never looked back, the American Grant Fisher who finished with bronze was only the closest but never looked like he was going to catch the Uganda silverback and Berihu Aregawi outpaced him to take silver at the fastest 10k race in Olympics history, all the first 13men finished under the Olympic record which is now held by Cheptegei as well.
“Ofcouse I was prepared to be on a world record pace today, 26:40 that’s jogging for me. My trainings have always been fast paced.” – Now that’s the swagger of an Olympic champion.
“I knew the Ethiopians hadn’t run 26min races all season just to come to the Olympics and run a 27 so it was going to be fast, I read the game from the beginning. What’s very important for me isn’t running hard but rather coming to the front at the right time and it paid off.”
However, learning that this was the last we were seeing him on track makes the victory even sweeter.
“I have world records and titles I feel like I’m a complete athlete now, I’ve won everything there is to win, my mind is really bored, it’s too much and I need a new challenge.
It’s time for me to go to the roads, this is my last track and field. It’s been a great 10years and everything special has got to come to an end.” This was no secrete, he had already tested out himself in the Valencia Marathon at the end of last year.
For him, there was still enough physical energy to keep going but this decision is also triggered by his mental aspect of life.” The mental preparation for a race is very intense, it’s consuming in its way.
I’d still go for longer but for the mental bit I’ll be forced to go on the roads.”
But for a very long time Ugandans weren’t sure of international sporting glory, Cheptegei had gotten them so used and entitled that even silver means disappointment.
He hasn’t been selfish even while in the limelight, setting up a worldclass facility in his hometown of Kapchorwa and many of the junior athletes in Uganda’s ranks now hail from his Joshua Cheptegei foundation.
“Kapchorwa and Uganda are now ready to compete with the rest of the wold, before I was a one man army fighting for my country but I’m now happy to see Kiplimo, Victor Kiplangat and Peruth Chemutai come in. I can now be relieved to join the longer distances.”
