Joshua Cheptegei and Jacob Kiplimo both withdrew from Wednesday’s upcoming men’s 5000m semifinal at the Paris Olympics, according to published reports and Uganda Athletics.
In a statement from Uganda’s head coach Faustino Kiwa, both runners were unable to recover from Friday’s 10,000m final, which Cheptegei won.
“I wish to inform Ugandans that our heroes Joshua Cheptegei and Jacob Kiplimo have been officially withdrawn from the 5,000m race due on Wednesday 7th August 2024,” the statement said.
“This follows their failure to fully recover from the gruelling 10,000m race in which both athletes competed on Friday 2nd August 2024. The event left them fatigued with leg and arm muscle pains. Efforts by the Physio Teams to resuscitate the athletes to their full normal form has not been successful.”
Cheptegei, the world record leader at 5,000m and 10,000m, later confirmed the reports on social media.
“I’m so proud of having won Olympic gold in the 10,000m,” he said. “After discussing with my team, we’ve decided it’s best not to compete in the 5,000m.”
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