- Faith Kipyegon was given back her silver medal in the Paris Olympics 5000m race after a successful appeal overturned her disqualification for obstruction
- The athlete had been disqualified for obstructing Ethiopian record holder Gudaf Tsegay, but she argued out her case saying Gudaf was one who kept pushing her
- Olympics move to recall her silver medal and awarding it to Gustav had sparked widespread uproar from Kenyans online
Faith Kipyegon has been reinstated with the silver medal in the women’s 5000m at the Paris Olympics after a dramatic appeal overturned her earlier disqualification.
The world 1500m record holder was initially disqualified for obstruction, but the Jury of Appeal’s decision on Monday night corrected the course.
In an electrifying 12.5-lap race, Kenya’s Beatrice Chebet claimed the gold medal in her debut Summer Games appearance.
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Chebet finished with a time of 14:28.56, narrowly ahead of Kipyegon, who clocked in at 14:29.60.
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Kipyegon, who had been disqualified for allegedly obstructing Ethiopian record holder Gudaf Tsegay, expressed relief and frustration following the reinstatement.
She detailed the incident, “I was in front and she tried to come in front and I told her, ‘please, you will push me inside, come slowly I will excuse you,’ and she kept pushing, putting me in an awkward situation. I did not push anyone.”
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As a result of the appeal, former champion Sifan Hassan’s medal was downgraded to bronze, and Italian Nadia Battocletti moved back to her original fourth place.
Kipyegon now turns her attention to defending her 1500m title, with the race scheduled for Tuesday at 11:05 AM. “I’m disappointed but will now focus on my race tomorrow,” Kipyegon stated.
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Chebet, the new Olympic champion, will face Hassan once more in the 10,000m final on Friday, aiming to secure a double gold.
