After bagging Kenya’s first gold in Paris, Beatrice Chebet will race in the 10,000m hoping to secure a rare medal that has proved elusive for the country at the Olympic Games.

Chebet will be accompanied by Lilian Kasait and Margaret Chelimo when they take on their global rivals in the final set to be held on Friday, August 9, 2024.

Chebet goes into the final buoyed by the gold medal achieved in dazzling form when he outshone Faith Kipyegon and world rivals in the 5,000m race.

The two-time World Cross-Country champion should also be motivated by her achievements at the Prefontaine Classic in May, when she broke the world record in 10,000m.

As was the case in the 5,000m final, the Kenyan unit will be challenged by the Netherlands’ Sifan Hassan and Ethiopian Gudaf Tsegay.

Back in Chebet’s and teammates’ minds, they know Kenya has never won a gold medal in the Olympics in the discipline, and should they do that, they will enter into history books.

Kenya only came close to securing the top medal in the 10,000m in an Olympic game when Sally Kipyego took silver in London 2012, and Vivian Cheruiyot claimed bronze in 2012 before a silver in Rio 2016.

Wanyonyi, Kinyamal eye final

Meanwhile, Emmanuel Wanyonyi and Wycliffe Kinyamal will be in the 800m action on Friday, August 9, 2024, hoping to progress to the final.

Wanyonyi, a world silver medallist and Kinyamal, a Commonwealth Games champion, carry the Kenyan hope in the race to more medals from the short-distance race.

Wanyonyi will be stepping onto the track more motivated after winning his respective heat when he clocked 1:44.64.

He managed to beat Italy’s Catalin Tecuceanu, who finished second in 1:44.80, and Sweden’s Andreas Kramer, who came in third with a time of 1:44.93.

In the semis, the Kenyan will face Bryce Hoppel from the USA, who enjoys a personal best of 1:42.77, Belgium’s Eliott Crestan, who has a personal best of 1:42.43, and Spain’s Mohamed Attaoui, with a personal best of 1:42.04.

Meanwhile, Kinyamal hopes to get a chance to the final when he competes in Heat 2. He finished in the third place in Heat 5, clocking in at 1:45.86 during the previous stage.

In his heat, he will face Canada’s Marco Arop, a world champion who boasts of a season-best of 1:42.93 and a personal best of 1:42.85.

The 800m semis will begin at 12:30 EAT.