Kenyan Runner Stripped of Silver Medal After 5000m Disqualification

Officials have disqualified Kenya’s Faith Kipyegon for making contact with Ethiopia’s Gudaf Tsegay during the final laps of the women’s 5,000-meter race.

PARIS, France — Kenya’s Faith Kipyegon, who was positioned to finish second in the women’s 5,000 meters, has been disqualified. This decision came after she was seen trading elbows with Ethiopia’s Gudaf Tsegay, the world-record holder, in the race’s final stages.

The confrontation between Kipyegon and Tsegay occurred as Tsegay surged forward with 800 meters remaining. The back-and-forth jostling resulted in Kipyegon’s disqualification, abruptly ending her bid for a medal.

Capitalizing on the disqualification, Kipyegon’s teammate, Beatrice Chebet, surged in the final 50 meters, clinching the gold with a time of 14:28.56.

Kipyegon’s removal from the standings elevated Sifan Hassan of the Netherlands to the silver medal position. Hassan is also set to compete in the 10,000 meters and marathon, aiming to replicate her three distance medals from the Tokyo Games.