Kenya experienced a mixture of triumph and disappointment at the 2024 Paris Olympic Games on Monday evening, marked by Faith Kipyegon’s disqualification and Mary Moraa’s bronze medal performance.

In the women’s 5,000 meters final, Beatrice Chebet secured a gold medal for Kenya, registering the country on the medal table. The race at Stade de France was intense, with the Kenyan trio of Chebet, Kipyegon, and Margaret Chelimo breaking away from the pack after the bell. Chebet outpaced the double Olympic 1,500 meters champion Kipyegon in the final 60 meters, crossing the finish line in 14:28.56.

Kipyegon, who initially finished second, was disqualified following a tussle with Ethiopian Gudaf Tsegay in the last 800 meters. Consequently, Sifan Hassan of the Netherlands was upgraded to silver, finishing in 14:30.61, while Italy’s Nadia Battocletti took bronze with a national record time of 14:31.64. Margaret Chelimo finished fourth with a season-best time of 14:32.23.

The race was dominated by Kenyans and Ethiopians, with occasional leadership from the European duo of Norway’s Karoline Bjerkeli Grovdal and Battocletti. Hassan, running from the back, surged forward with six laps to go, positioning herself strategically for the final push.

Tsegay’s attempt to dominate led to a fierce battle with Kipyegon, culminating in a near physical confrontation. Kipyegon seemed to prevail but later showed signs of fatigue, allowing Chebet to sprint ahead and secure the gold. The disqualification of Kipyegon was a significant blow, overshadowing Kenya’s moment of glory in the event.

In another highlight, Mary Moraa added to Kenya’s medal tally by clinching bronze in the women’s 800 meters. Moraa, who had won the World Athletics Championship in Budapest the previous year, finished the race in 1:57.42. The race was a duel between Moraa and Britain’s Keely Hodgkinson, who eventually won gold in 1:56.72.

The two athletes ran side by side after the bell, but Hodgkinson’s strong finish in the final 200 meters left Moraa struggling to keep pace. Ethiopian Tsige Duguma seized the opportunity to overtake Moraa in the final stretch, claiming the silver with a time of 1:57.15.

The 800 meters final was highly anticipated, given Moraa’s dramatic victory over Hodgkinson at the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham two years prior. This time, however, Hodgkinson proved her superiority, leaving Moraa to settle for bronze.