Olympic gold medalist Faith Kipyegon has finally opened up about the push and drama between her and Ethiopian world record-holder Gudaf Tsegay at the Paris Olympics.
During an appearance on Citizen TV’s JKLive Show, Kipyegon discussed the intense disqualification and subsequent reinstatement in the 5,000-meter final at the Paris 2024 Olympics.
Kipyegon revealed that Tsegay approached her after the race and apologized for the altercation.
Kipyegon recounted how she almost got pushed out of the race after the shoving incident but regained her balance and composure. Despite these challenges, she finished second, trailing behind fellow Kenyan Beatrice Chebet, who won the race, while Sifan Hassan of the Netherlands secured third place.
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"In a race, maintaining focus is crucial," Kipyegon shared, expressing her gratitude to Beatrice Chebet and Margaret Chelimo for their teamwork. She described how Tsegay’s sudden push as she moved up in the race caused the scuffle.
"She came in strong, and I protested, telling her she was pushing me inside and out of my tracks," Kipyegon explained. "It took a lot of mental strength, but I fought back to regain my lane and move on."
Kipyegon revealed that Tsegay later approached her, knelt, and apologized for her actions, acknowledging her mistake. "After the following day’s 1500m heats, Tsegay came and knelt before me, expressing her sincere regret and asking for forgiveness," Kipyegon said. "I forgave her, understanding that in sports, we need each other to compete."
As the world record holder for an Olympic three-peat in the 1,500m, Kipyegon clarified that she wasn’t disappointed with her silver medal finish. Her only disappointment was the potential disqualification after giving her all in the race.
"I was initially happy with my silver medal," Kipyegon noted. "The disappointment came when I learned about the disqualification in my second interview."
