TOKYO 2020: Simiu braced for Olympics 5000m challenge

When Daniel Simiu steps on the track alongside national trials winner Nicholas Kimeli and Samwel Masai, his sole focus will be on nothing but qualifying for the final where he hopes to fight for a medal against some of the best 5000m runners in the world. 

The 25-year old says he has put behind the setback that saw him miss the 2019 World Championships as he was not permitted to compete having not met the Athletics Integrity Unit [AIU] requirements of athletes undergoing one in-competition and three out-of-competition doping tests to be eligible for the world championships.

"Since getting to Tokyo training has been good. I have, however, never experienced such high temperatures but I am managing. I was angry and almost quit athletics but I have put that behind me and I am focused on making an impact here," said Simiu. 

The Kenyan trio is up against world-class competitors, four of them have already been on the track in Tokyo. 

Ugandan duo Joshua Cheptegei and Jacob Kiplimo are already medalists in the 10,000m, having picked silver and bronze on Friday 30 July 2021. 

Jakob Ingebrigtsen was on the track early Tuesday morning for the 1500m heats and qualified for the semis. Ethiopia’s Getnet Wale, meanwhile has already run two rounds of the steeplechase, heats and and final, finishing fourth. 

"I know it will not be easy but we have an advantage since we have fresh legs. They, however, came to the Olympics prepared to double so they won't be easily beaten. We have a team plan from the heats through to the final. Despite not getting the best of training back home due to training in a bubble, I feel ready," added Simiu. 

In terms of pure speed, Cheptegei tops the bill as he owns the world record for the distance with his 12:35.36 clocking from 2019. The 10,000m has been his focus at recent major championships and he won the world title for that distance in 2019. He is no stranger to doubling up, too, as he contested the 5000m and 10,000m in Rio and claimed gold in both events at the 2018 Commonwealth Games.

In his only 5000m race of the year, Cheptegei was a well-beaten sixth at the Wanda Diamond League meeting in Florence in 12:54.69, the second-fastest of his career. But in 2019 he rebounded from similar early-season results to win the Diamond League title against a high-quality field.

Compatriot Kiplimo, still only 20 years of age, hasn’t been beaten on the track since the 2018 World U20 Championships. Last year he set a Ugandan 3000m record of 7:26.64, clocked a 5000m PB of 12:48.63 to win in Ostrava, won the world half marathon title in Gdynia and then set a national half marathon record of 57:37 in Valencia.

The versatile Kiplimo has raced sparingly this year but won both of his races, clocking a world-leading PB of 26:33.93 over 10,000m and winning over 5000m in Lucerne in 12:55.60. He has never doubled up at a major championships, but he has the ability and endurance to be a big contender in both the 5000m and 10,000m.

Ingebrigtsen is no stranger to a distance double or, as was the case at the 2017 European U20 Championships, a triple. The 20-year-old Norwegian won the European 1500m and 5000m titles in 2018 at the age of 17 and earlier this year he claimed 1500m and 3000m gold at the European Indoor Championships.

He finished fourth and fifth over 1500m and 5000m at the 2019 World Championships, but has improved in both events since then. In fact, he’ll head to Tokyo as the European record-holder over 1500m (indoors and out), 2000m and 5000m. His latest continental record-breaking performance came when winning the 5000m at the Wanda Diamond League meeting in Florence in a world-leading PB of 12:48.45.

But the field of athletes he beat in that race was more significant than the time itself. Cheptegei, Spain's Mohamed Katir, two-time world champion Muktar Edris and Canadian duo Moh Ahmed and Justyn Knight all finished in Ingebrigtsen’s wake, giving the Norwegian a significant psychological advantage. 

Katir finished fourth in Florence in a Spanish record of 12:50.79. He then went on to set national records over 1500m (3:28.76) in Monaco and 3000m (7:27.64) in Gateshead. Still relatively new on the international circuit, Katir will be making his global championships debut in Tokyo. But his finishing speed in all of his Wanda Diamond League performances this year suggests he can be a major factor in championship-style racing.

Before this year, Getnet Wale was better known as a steeplechaser. But after some strong performances indoors, including a 7:24.98 run over 3000m to move to second on the world indoor all-time list, the Ethiopian started to focus more on flat events. He won the Ethiopian Olympic Trial race over 5000m, clocking a PB of 12:53.28 to book his place in Tokyo in that discipline. He has also been named in the steeplechase, though, and will be just as big a factor in that event. But this will be the first time he’s had to double up at a major event.

Nibret Melak, a two-time Ethiopian cross-country champion, and world U20 cross-country champion Milkesa Mengesha join Wale on Ethiopia’s 5000m team.

Canada’s world bronze medallist Ahmed finished third in Florence this year in 12:50.12, just ahead of compatriot Justyn Knight (12:51.93). They head to Tokyo as the second-and fourth-fastest entrants in the 5000m and will likely be in the medal hunt.

USA’s 2016 Olympic silver medallist Paul Chelimo and Bahrain’s Asian champion Birhanu Balew, a finalist at the past three global championships, are also ones to watch.

Additional information by World Athletics