An instinctive moment cost Faith Kipyegon an Olympic 5,000 meter silver medal on Monday at the Paris Olympics.
The Kenyan outstretched her right arm, making contact with Ethiopia’s Gudaf Tsegay with a little more than 800 meters left to go and created a reaction that unbalanced her competitor before the race continued on. The official ruling was obstruction for the infraction.
Kipyegon went on to battle stride-for-stride with her countrywoman Beatrice Chebet, the world record-holder over 10,000 meters, over the next two laps, eventually relenting for silver.
Chebet took the Olympic gold with a time of 14:28.56.
But Kipyegon was disqualified for her obstruction shortly thereafter, shifting the order of the podium and lifting the Netherlands’ Sifan Hassan to second in 14:30.61 and Italy’s Nadia Battocletti to third in 14:31.64.
Tsegay, crucially involved in the dust up, settled for eighth in 14:45.21. She is the world record-holder for 5,000 meters, but that fact means little after Monday’s performance.
Hassan, who’s eyeing up an incredible Olympic triple with her performance in the 5K, 10K and marathon, made swift work over the last lap to close on the Kenyans.
Battocletti, meanwhile, scored a new Italian national record with her performance.
Kipyegon, the world record-holder in the 1,500m and mile, was a former record-holder in the 5K before Chebet passed her.
Americans Karissa Schweizer and Elise Cranny finished ninth and 10th, respectively, in 14:45.57 and 14:48.06.
When Are The Paris 2024 Olympic Games?
The Olympics begin on July 26 and end on August 11. The track and field events will began on Aug. 1.
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