Uganda are hogging the limelight after winning an Olympics gold ahead of East African rivals Kenya and Tanzania who are still waiting for their first piece of silverware in Paris.
With Kenya still waiting for their first Olympics medal at the Paris Games, Uganda became the first country from East Africa to bag gold following Joshua Cheptegei’s win in 10,000m on Friday.
Cheptegei claimed Olympics gold to add onto his world title after shocking Ethiopian runners Selemon Barega, Yomif Kejelcha and Berihu Aregawi who had executed a team strategy meant to sweep the podium.
The Ugandan unleashed a powerful finishing kick to claim the win which also came with regional bragging rights as they became the first East African nation to bag gold in Paris and also defeated Ethiopian and Kenyan runners in the race.
Cheptegei had stayed close to the Ethiopian trio and took off in the final 400m to win the race in a new Olympics record of 26:43.14.
Aregawi was the best placed Ethiopian in second place after clocking 26.43.44. He had to do it the hard way after sprinting to the finish line in the final 100m.
That was Ethiopia’s first medal at the Games but Kenya is yet to make its presence felt on the table standings after Bernard Kibet placed fifth in the race while Daniel Mateiko and Nicholas Kipkorir faded to 11th and 14th respectively.
Kenya still, however, hope to right those wrongs in upcoming events especially the women’s 1,500m, 5,000m, 800m and 3,000m steeplechase as well as the men’s 800m, 1,500m and marathon for both men and women.
It is a similar story for Tanzania and Rwanda who have so far experienced a medal drought even though few gave them a chance of clinching any.
For Tanzania, medal hopes remain in marathoners Alphonce Felix, Gabriel Gaey, Magdalena Shauri and Jackline Sakilu after judoka Andrew Mlugu and swimmer Collins Saliboko were eliminated in the first round.
