Explained: Why Faith Kipyegon was disqualified despite finishing second in Paris Olympics 5000m final

A tearful Faith Kipyegon after her disqualification.

Explained: Why Faith Kipyegon was disqualified despite finishing second in Paris Olympics 5000m final

Joel Omotto 23:30 - 05.08.2024

Faith Kipyegon experienced a brutal end to her Paris 2024 Olympics 5,000m campaign after her silver medal win was quashed.

Kenya lost an Olympics silver medal after Faith Kipyegon was disqualified in the women’s 5,000m final on Monday night.

What was supposed to be a good day turned out worse for Kipyegon after losing gold to compatriot Beatrice Chebet in the final stretch before she later learnt that her second place would count for nothing as she was disqualified for jostling and obstruction.

The dreadful moment happed in the final 800m when Kipyegon did not take kindly to Gudaf Tsegay’s tactics to box her in and had a go at her, raising her arm in anger before she continued her race.

She would take the lead and appeared to be cruising to a gold medal before Chebet closed in.

Chebet kept pace with her and in the final 60m, the double world cross-country champion went past Kipyegon to claim her first Olympics title and a first gold for Kenya at the 2024 Games.

Chebet clocked 14:28.56 as Kipyegon finished second but there would a be a further shocker for her as she was disqualified with Hassan elevated to second place in 14.30.61 while Italian Nadia Battocletti was awarded a bronze medal.

Kipyegon was disqualified under Rule TR17.2.2 (163.2 (b)) on jostling or obstruction (O/S). It suggests: Any athlete who jostles, pushes or obstructs another athlete during a race could be disqualified by the applicable Referee on the report of an umpire.

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