In a fiercely competitive race involving 13 athletes, Ethiopia's Selemon Barega, Yomif Kejelcha, and Berihu Aregawi adopted a collaborative strategy. Aregawi, a three-time world champion and two-time Olympic champion, explained their approach: "We adopted a strategy as a team. We wanted to hold our own and leave the rest behind. But I'm sorry, we didn't win the gold."
The Ethiopian athletes aimed to secure a gold medal by using teamwork to isolate and control the race. However, Cheptegei, aware of their tactics, adapted and bided his time. Despite being behind with 400 meters to go, the Ugandan runner surged ahead, displaying his true strength and securing the gold medal. Aregawi was unable to catch up.
Grant Fisher of the United States also made a remarkable finish, securing the bronze medal. Cheptegei completed the 10,000 meters at the Stade de France in 26 minutes 43.14 seconds, breaking the previous Olympic record set by Ethiopia's Kenenisa Bekele at the 2008 Beijing Olympics (27 minutes 1.17 seconds). Aregawi took silver with a time of 26 minutes 43.44 seconds, and Fisher finished just 0.02 seconds behind him.
Additionally, Cheptegei holds the world record in the men's 10,000 meters event, having completed the race in 26 minutes 11 seconds, further cementing his legacy as one of the greatest long-distance runners.
