The Ethiopian athlete tried to win at all costs at Paris Olympics but her dirty tricks proved costly instead as she ended up empty handed despite signing up for three races.
Ethiopian Gudaf Tsegay ended the Paris Olympics without a medal despite her best efforts to win at all costs.
The 27-year-old signed up for three races and came to Paris as one of the athletes to beat, given she is the world record holder in 5,000m and world champion in the 10,000m
The first of her three races started on Monday 5, August, being the 5,000m, where she had an altercation with Kenya’s Faith Kipyegon that nearly proved costly for the athlete and her country.
15:22 - 06.08.2024
Faith Kipyegon addresses clash with Gudaf Tsegay in 5000m after dramatic appeal victory
World 1,500m and Mile record holder Faith Kipyegon has reacted to overwhelming support from Kenyans after her 5000m disqualification was overturned.
As the race wore on, she tried to box Kipyegon into the inside lane and block her path in an effort to get an advantage, and the Kenyan raised her hand to fend her off.
Kipyegon would go on to finish second after compatriot Beatrice Chebet claimed a gold medal while Tsegay failed to match up to the pace, finishing ninth.
After the race, Kipyegon was disqualified over the incident, World Athletics punishing her over ‘jostling and obstruction’ but Team Kenya appealed and the athlete got her silver medal reinstated.
15:30 - 06.08.2024
New Olympic 5000m champion Beatrice Chebet gives first-hand account of altercation between Gudaf Tsegay & Faith Kipyegon
Chebet, who was crowned the 5000m gold medalist, has given her account on what really happened between Tsegay and Kipyegon that initially saw the Olympic comitee strip the latter off her silver medal before reinstating it.
The incident left a bitter taste among Kenyans and Chebet would later give an account of what exactly happened.
"It wasn’t Faith’s fault," Chebet explained. "I was behind them, and Faith was in the inside lane. Gudaf tried to get into Faith’s lane. Faith had to use her hand to tell Gudaf, 'Don’t push me.' It wasn’t Faith’s fault; she lost her balance and tried to avoid stepping out of the track."
That made Tsegay a marked woman as in her subsequent races, organisers and track rivals had their eyes on her.
12:30 - 06.08.2024
Sifan Hassan slams Ethiopia's Gudaf Tsegay's dark arts after nearly ruining Faith Kipyegon's night
Hassan has criticised Tsegay for her notorious boxing antics after they initially caused Faith Kipyegon to be wrongly judged and stripped off her silver medal in the 5000m of the ongoing Paris Olympic games.
When she hit the track for her second race, being the 10,000m on Friday, most of her opponents avoided getting closer, perhaps out of fear, and she looked to have been aware which seemed to work to the advantage of others.
The 10,000m, where she is the world champion, proved another tough assignment as she finished sixth, with Chebet winning again.
Focus would then turn to the 1,500m on Saturday which meant a reunion with Kipyegon. The Kenyan, looking for a historic hat-trick, had her eyes on her and so were the other athletes.
21:24 - 10.08.2024
Paris 2024 Olympics: History as Faith Kipyegon wins third successive Olympic title in women's 1500m
Faith Kipyegon won her third successive Olympic title at in Paris on Saturday to become the first woman to achieve the feat in the Games' history.
The psychological effect of Monday’s incident killed off any hopes of the Ethiopian getting something from the race and as Kipyegon stormed off to make history, she was left to lick her wounds, finishing last this time to exit the Olympics without a medal.
In the end, the tricks Tsegay hoped to use to win worked against her, with rivals having the last laugh.