President William Ruto and opposition leader Raila Odinga have expressed their pride in Beatrice Chebet, Faith Kipyegon and Mary Moraa for their win in the Paris Olympics.
Beatrice Chebet clinched the Olympic gold in the women’s 5,000 meters at the Paris 2024 Olympics after a dramatic race that saw her sprint to victory.
The race took a surprising turn when Faith Kipyegon lost her silver medal after a disqualification but later reinstated.
In a statement shared on his X account, President Ruto highlighted Chebet’s historic gold medal win in the Women’s 5,000m final, commended her for opening Kenya’s gold account and hailed Mary Moraa for securing the bronze in the Women’s 800m event.
President Ruto also offered words of encouragement to Faith Kipyegon after the drama that ensued at the Olympics.
“What a show of excellence from the Kenyan team at the Paris Olympic Games. We are proud of Beatrice Chebet for opening Kenya’s gold account with her win in the Women’s 5,000m final. Congratulations Mary Moraa for winning bronze in the Women’s 800m. For Faith Kipyegon, keep the faith!” Ruto stated.
Opposition leader Raila Odinga similarly celebrated the athletes’ remarkable performances, particularly praising Beatrice Chebet and Faith Kipyegon for their exceptional runs in the 5,000m event.
He expressed gratitude for their efforts in representing the nation so admirably on the global stage.
“What an amazing 5000m run by Beatrice Chebet and Faith Kipyegon in Paris! Winning Kenya’s first gold and silver medals of these Olympics, they make us proud. Thank you both for flying our flag high! Bravo!”
In addition to Chebet’s gold and Kipyegon’s silver, Mary Moraa secured a bronze medal in the Women’s 800 meters, adding to Kenya’s impressive medal tally.
Keep the faith
Faith Kipyegon was initially disqualified for lane infringement and obstruction but was reinstated after Kenyan Athletics officials successfully appealed.
World Athletics issued a statement confirming Kipyegon’s reinstatement to the silver medal position in the women’s 5000m after a review showed she was shoved by Ethiopia’s Gudaf Tsegay during the race.
The Jury of Appeal’s decision, submitted on August 5, 2024, stated that significant contact occurred between the two athletes but did not warrant disqualification. However, they emphasized that such jostling is unacceptable and issued Kipyegon a disciplinary yellow card, effective for the remainder of the Games.
Kipyegon, who finished the race in 14 minutes and 28.56 seconds, described the incident, saying she was in front when Tsegay tried to push her inside.
Despite the disruption, Kipyegon must now focus on her goal of winning a third consecutive Olympic gold in the women’s 1500m. She is set to compete in the second heat of the first round on Tuesday morning.