Ugandan athlete Joshua Cheptegei reveled in a spectacular 10,000m Silver Medal winning performance at the 2017 London World Athletics Championships on Friday night.
Cheptegei surged from the middle of the pack to sprint in the final stretch, claiming second position after winner Great Britain’s Mo Farah.
And what a run by @joshuacheptege1 who sets a PB 26:49.94 to take silver. Congratulations!#IAAFworlds pic.twitter.com/jmz1aFDVDx
— World Athletics (@WorldAthletics) August 4, 2017
From the start of the race, the host of Kenyans and Ugandans plotted to see Farah lose the race after 6 years of dominance.
Cheptegei turned out the front runner posting a personal best of 26:49.94. Mo Farah won with 26:49.51, Kenyan Paul Kipngetich Tanui finishing third with a season best of 26:50.60.
The Uganda reminded several of his setback at the IAAF World Cross Country Championships in Kampala where with a 12-second advantage over Kenya’s Geoffrey Kamworor, he lost the title after succumbing to fatigue.
The 20-year-old in drunken style staggered home attracting sympathy. He crossed the line in 30th place, having lost almost two minutes to his rivals in the final kilometre.
After the race, Cheptegei covered with all smiles on Friday asked; the assembled media: “you remember what happened in Kampala?”
“It took me some weeks to get over,” Cheptegei told IAAF.org.
“When I met people they felt sorry for me, but when they asked me I would feel bad because they made me remember what happened. I had to just stay at home, not go around because I didn’t want to meet people. My wife was there, my family, my manager, and they were encouraging me, saying: ‘you can make it.”
What an incredible race!
Watch how @Mo_farah won his third consecutive 10,000m gold medal at the #IAAFworlds pic.twitter.com/P0st1oZ8yQ
— World Athletics (@WorldAthletics) August 4, 2017
Cheptegei’s triumph meant Uganda’s first track medal at the World Championships since Kipsiro’s podium finish at Osaka 2007.
