Ugandan athlete Joshua Kiprui Cheptegei has made it to the finals of the 5000m men’s finals in the Rio Olympic games in Brazil after he finished fourth in heat one on Wednesday.
Cheptegei – 13:25.70 – crossed after winner Paul Kipkemoi Chelimo -13:19:54 – from United States and third placed Great Britain’s Mo Farah – 13:25.25 – after a spirited race on the tracks that had him survive a tumble in the middle of the leading pack.
The Ugandan led in the second lap in the sunny conditions of the Olympic stadium and kept in the top three despite slipping a distant sixth in the subsquent laps.
Joshua later on pulled up to fourth in the final stretch to book himself a slot in the final event of the same.
Jacob Kiplimo in the same race failed to make qualification time as he posted 13:30.40 finishing 11th behind Jamaica’s Kemoy Campbell – 13:30.32.
The last Ugandan – who featured in heat two of the men’s 5000m – Phillip Kipyeko, had a good run from the start, but slipped to finish 11th.
Kipyeko posted a season best of 13:24.66.
He kept his pace throughout the first laps – in second place. He grabbed the lead with a blistering pace with three laps to go.
As the race came closer to a halt, he slipped to second with one lap remaining and the final stretch tired the gallant Ugandan as he finished a distant 11th in 13:24.66 to miss progression to the finals.
