After finishing sixth at the Florence Diamond League event held on Thursday (10th July), Ugandan long distance runner Joshua Cheptegei has now shifted his focus to the upcoming Tokyo 2020 Olympics slated for 23 July to 8 August 2021 in Tokyo, Japan.
Cheptegei who clocked 12:54.69 in the men’s 5000m men’s race, his season’s best has put the false display at the Florence meeting behind and fully concentrate on the buildup to the upcoming Olympics.
“It was not my day! But the Silverback will keep on fighting towards the Olympics in Tokyo,” Cheptegei who is also a Uganda Tourism Ambassador said via a social media missive
The 20-year-old Jakob Ingebrigtsen upset an exceptional 5000m field.
This may be the most impressive victory of his short but brilliant career.
This include both the world champion and world record-holder, at the Wanda Diamond League meeting in Florence.
The Norwegian wonderkind took a whopping 13 and a half seconds off his personal best to stop the clock in 12:48.45.
This is a European record and his first sub-13 minute performance.
He had burned off the world’s most highly-credentialed 5000m runners over the last 200m of the race.
“Huge congratulations to Jakob Ingebrigtsen for your amazing European record,” Cheptegei added.
At the same event, Ugandans Winnie Nanyondo (5th) in the women’s 1500m race.
Albert Chemutai in the 3000 SC equally attained season’s best times of 4:00.84 and 8:23.96 respectively.
A huge bulk of athletes that will represent Uganda at the Olympics are runners and this include; Joshua Cheptegei (10,000 M & 5000M), Halima Nakaayi (800M), Winnie Nanyondo (1500M), Albert Chemutai (3000M – Steeple chase), Peruth Chemutai (3000M – Steeple chase), Esther Chebet (10,000M), Abdallah Mande Kibet (10,000M), Stella Chesang (5000M), Sarah Chelengat (5000M), Juliet Chekwel (Marathon), Immaculate Chemutai (Marathon), Stephen Kiprotich (Marathon), Leni Shida (400M) and others.
Cheptegei aims high
The 2020 Summer Olympics, officially the Games of the XXXII Olympiad.
It is also known as
Tokyo 2020, an upcoming international multi-sport event.
It is scheduled to be held from 23 July to 8 August 2021 in Tokyo, Japan.
Originally, it was due to take place from 24 July to 9 August 2020.
But the event was postponed in March 2020 due to COVID-19 pandemic and will not allow international spectators.
Despite being rescheduled for 2021, the event retains the Tokyo 2020 name for marketing and branding purposes.
This is the first time that the Olympic Games have been postponed and rescheduled, rather than cancelled.
