Lone ranger Chelimo to renew Ingebrigtsen showdown in 5000m final

Chelimo is the only Ugandan in the distance event after both 10000m gold medallist Joshua Cheptegei and Jacob Kiplimo pulled out yesterday.

OLYMPICS | Uganda's lone ranger Oscar Chelimo has qualified for the men's 5000m final after finishing fifth in Heat 2 at the Paris 2024 Games.

Chelimo is the only Ugandan in the distance event after both 10000m gold medallist Joshua Cheptegei and Jacob Kiplimo pulled out yesterday.

The two medal favourites cited fatigue after the grueling Friday event and opted to rest their bodies, dealing a huge blow to Uganda's medal hopes.

But Chelimo could yet add to Silver Peruth Chemutai won in the women's 3000m steeplechase on Tuesday if he can find his leg around the star-studded lineup of distance runners on Saturday.

Chelimo crossed the finish line in a time of 13 minutes and 52.46 seconds, slightly over a second behind Norway's Jacob Ingebrigtsen, who is now the favorite for the gold medal after the withdrawal of world record holder Cheptegei.

Ingebrigtsen is coming into the 5k final after a disappointing fourth-place finish in the men's 1500m final on Tuesday.

But he will have to work for a medal of any polish in a race that has American 10000m bronze medallist Grant Fisher, Kenya's Ronald Kwemoi and Jacob Krop, Biniam Mehary and Hagos Gabrhiwet of Ethiopia.

In particular, the 5000m final will be showdown for Eugene 2023 World Championships podium finishers after all made the cut.

Ingebrigtsen timed 13min 09.24sec for victory at Eugene's Hayward Field, Kenya's Krop claiming silver in 13:09.98 while Chelimo took bronze in 13:10.20.