Cheptegei runs Olympic 10,000m record and mixed 4x400m world record falls on day two in Paris

Uganda’s Joshua Cheptegei, three times a world 10,000m champion, became Olympic 10,000m champion on Friday (2) in the first athletics final of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games to take place in the Stade de France.

So great was the noise generated by the crowd at the close of this constantly fluctuating race that the bell could barely be heard as Cheptegei, who had waited and waited as his three Ethiopian rivals had tried concertedly to run the finish out of him, moved irresistibly into the lead.

By the time the world record-holder crossed the line again he had set an Olympic record of 26:43.14, with the fast-finishing Ethiopian Berihu Aregawi, producing one final surge after his consistent efforts at the front alongside his compatriots Yomif Kejelcha and defending champion Selemon Barega, earning silver in 26:43.44.

As the challenge of Canada’s Moh Ahmed finally wilted in the closing few metres, Grant Fisher of the United States maintained his form to earn bronze in 26:43.46 after staying in touch with the lead throughout and surviving one near knockdown.

The packed stadium raised the decibel levels to ear-buzzing proportions during the first of the 4x400m mixed relay heats.

It might have been to honour a stunning effort from the United States quartet of Vernon Norwood, Shamier Little, Bryce Deadmon and Kaylyn Brown as the latter came home 40 metres clear in a world record of 3:07.41. That shattered the previous mark of 3:08.80 set by an entirely different US quartet at last year’s World Championships.

It might have been to honour the French record of 3:10.60 which earned second place.

It might have been a bit of both.

There were national records too for third-placed Belgium (3:10.74), Jamaica (3:11.06) and Switzerland (3:12.77).

Great Britain won the second heat in a national record of 3:10.61 ahead of the Netherlands and Italy.

Nigeria set a national record of 3:11.99 in fourth place but finished one place outside the final eight qualifiers.

Earlier, Sifan Hassan of the Netherlands, competing at Paris 2024 in the 5000m, 10,000m and marathon, made a successful first step in her triple quest.  

The 31-year-old began the defence of her 5000m title by qualifying for Monday’s final in second place behind Faith Kipyegon, who beat her to the world title at this distance last year.

The Kenyan has given herself the comparatively conservative challenge here of doubling up with a defence of her 1500m title. Making her Olympic debut at the distance, Kipyegon beat Hassan by six thousandths of a second with both clocking 14:57.56.

The Dutch athlete’s last attempt at an Olympic triple almost came off as she won the 5000 and 10,000m and took bronze in the 1500m. Her schedule now consists of the 5000m final on 4 August, the 10,000m final on 9 August and the marathon two days later.

Italy’s European 5000m and 10,000m champion Nadia Battocletti looked impressive in third place, and Ethiopia’s world 10,000m champion Gudaf Tsegay, who will take on the longer distance as well as the 1500m, also qualified with something to spare, narrowly ahead of her compatriot Ejgayehu Taye.

These powerhouses will be joined on Sunday night by the world cross-country champion and world 5000m bronze medallist Beatrice Chebet, who lowered the world 10,000m record to 28:54.14 in Eugene earlier this year, and was a comfortable winner of the second heat in 15:00.73. Unsurprisingly she is doubling up with the 10,000m.

Germany’s Leo Neugebauer, leader of the decathlon after the morning’s first three events, maintained his position after the opening test of the evening session, the high jump, where 2.05m earned him fourth place and 850 points, bringing his total to 3726.

Norway’s European silver medallist Sander Skotheim made up ground to take second place after finishing second with 2.11m, totalling 3631. Defending champion Damian Warner of Canada dropped from second to third with a fifth-place finish on 2.02m, just 11 points behind. Heath Baldwin of the United States topped the high jump with 2.17m, moving up seven places to eighth.

Warner ended day one in fourth place after a 400m which saw Ayden Owens-Delerme of Puerto Rico move into silver-medal position after the fastest time of 46.17, reaching an overnight total of 4608, 42 points adrift of Neugebauer, whose 47.70 was ninth best.

Skotheim maintained a place in the medals as he set a personal best of 47.02 to total 4588, putting him 27 points ahead of Warner.

History was made in the women’s discus qualifying, where 45-year-old home athlete Melina Robert-Michon made her seventh Olympic appearance, equalling the record number of appearances made by a woman at the Games.

Hugely supported, Robert-Michon – ranked 21st of the 32 entrants – produced a season’s best of 63.77m that earned her a place in what will be her 12th global final on Monday.

Valarie Allman of the US, who has won world silver and bronze since earning gold at the Tokyo Games, topped qualifying with 69.59m, the best throw seen at an Olympics since Atlanta 1996 and the farthest qualifier ever.

Second in the rankings was Croatia’s Sandra Elkasevic who is hungering after a third Olympic title having won a seventh consecutive European title in June. 

Four athletes beat the previous fastest ever Olympic women’s 800m heat time of 1:58.38 set by Melissa Bishop of Canada at the Rio 2016 Games.

World indoor champion Tsige Duguma of Ethiopia won her heat in 1:57.90 ahead of Kenya’s world champion Mary Moraa in 1:57.95 and Shafiqua Maloney of St Vincent and the Grenadines in a national record of 1:58.23. In another heat, Worknesh Mekele of Ethiopia ran a PB of 1:58.07 and she was followed, to loud cheers from the home crowd, by Renelle Lamote of France.

World No.1 Keely Hodgkinson won her heat in 1:59.31 and will be joined in the semifinals by her British compatriots Jemma Reekie and Phoebe Gill, the 17-year-old who set a personal best of 1:57.86 earlier this year.

USA’s Ryan Crouser, seeking an unprecedented third consecutive Olympic men’s shot put gold, indicated that he has continued to recover from the series of injuries that undermined his preparations as he qualified for Saturday’s final with 21.49m.

But he will need to be close to his best – which, as a reminder, is the world record of 23.56m – to combat the challenge of Italy’s European champion Leonardo Fabbri, who is second on this year’s world list on 22.95m and who produced the top qualifying mark of 21.76m, albeit after putting himself in danger of elimination until his third effort.

Crouser’s mark was the fourth best, with Tomas Stanek of Czechia advancing on 21.61 and his US teammate Payton Otterdahl reaching 21.52m.

Cuba’s 22-year-old Leyanis Perez Hernandez, who tops this year’s outdoor world list with 14.96m, also topped the women’s triple jump qualification in Paris thanks to her leap of 14.68m.

In a competition missing multiple global champion Yulimar Rojas through injury, the Cuban finished ahead of Jamaica’s Shaniecka Ricketts on 14.47m and Jasmine Moore of the United States on 14.43m. Also through to Saturday’s final is Thea LaFond, the 30-year-old from Dominica who won the world indoor title in Glasgow with 15.01m and is now seeking to become her country’s first Olympic medallist in any sport.

Mike Rowbottom for World Athletics

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