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Paris Olympics: Krop, Kwemoi and Kurgat hoping to win Kenya's first 5000m gold in 36 years
Reading Time: 2min | Wed. 07.08.24. | 08:32
Kenya’s sole Olympic gold medal in the men’s 5000m was won by John Ngugi back in 1988, long before the three Kenyan 5000m entrants had been born
Kenyan athletes have dominated the middle and long-distance races on the global stage for an eternity, though the dominance has faded over the years due to several factors.
Much as Kenya remains the country to beat in middle- and long-distance races, the men’s Olympic 5000m event gives its athletes nightmares.
Kenya’s sole Olympic gold medal in the men’s 5000m was won by John Ngugi back in 1988, long before the three Kenyan 5000m entrants at the Paris 2024 edition of the Olympics had been born
The last time the country won an Olympic medal in the race was in London when Thomas Longosiwa bagged bronze. Eliud Kipchoge mined silver during the 2008 Beijing Games.
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World bronze medalist Jacob Krop leads the Kenyan contingent alongside national trials winners Ronald Kwemoi and Edwin Kurgat in round one of the event set to kick off at midday local time.
Despite his young age, Krop is quite experienced, having managed podium finishes in two successive World Championships, and will hope to lead his compatriots in breaking Kenya’s long wait for a second gold medal in the race.
The world bronze medalist will be debuting in the Games after missing the ticket to the Tokyo Games, where Kenya was represented by Nicholas Kimeli, Daniel Ebenyo and Samwel Masai.
Krop missed the Tokyo Games as he was sitting for his Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) exams and, further, had placed fourth in the trials, automatically locking him out.
Kwemoi, last represented the country during the 2019 World Championships in Doha, finishing seventh in the 1500m race, which was won by Timothy Cheruiyot.
The world U20 1500m record holder had unsuccessfully tried his luck in having his way to the 10000m team during the Prefontaine Classic, only to reign supreme in the 5000m trials at Nyayo Stadium.
The 2014 Commonwealth Games silver medalist placed a disappointing 10th at the Prefontaine Classic, whose winners got tickets to Paris.
While Krop and Kurgat will be debuting at the Olympics, Kwemoi will be making a return, having debuted in Rio, where he finished 13th in the 1500m final.
The trio had a massive task of dethroning 5000m defending champion Joshua Cheptegei from Uganda but the 10,000-meter record holder, along with his compatriot, two-time world cross-country champion Jacob Kiplimo, will miss the race due to injuries.
Kenyans will now have to overcome the formidable challenge of world 5000m champion Jakob Ingebrigtsen and 2022 world bronze medalist Oscar Chelimo of Uganda.
