ATHLETICS | Joshua Cheptegei is again to the place all of it started and is loving it

It was in 2014 when a younger Cheptegei travelled to those components, in what was his first abroad journey. He competed onerous within the worldwide elite males’s subject, and completed a creditable second behind his mentor, Geoffrey Kamworor. 

That displaying gave him immense confidence going into the 2014 World junior athletics championships, the place he claimed the ten,000m gold. 

The Ugandan then went to have a stellar senior profession, studded with two Olympic golds (2020 Tokyo 5,000m, and 2024 Paris 10,000m). 

Cheptegei can also be the present 5,000m and 10,000m world report holder.

Now again to compete within the TCS World 10K after a spot of 11 years, Cheptegei turned nostalgic when requested about his maiden look in Bengaluru.  

“The 2014 TCS World 10K was the place to begin for me — it opened alternatives for me. After that run, I used to be a modified individual. I might mentally focus and chase my goals. I used to be totally decided to beat the world,” Cheptegei mentioned right here on Friday. 

The 28-year-old has now left the monitor behind to give attention to highway races. “My precedence is extra on the roads. I believe I’ve performed lots on the monitor, and perhaps it’s time for me to maneuver on.

“In this subsequent chapter of my profession, I felt that I wanted to return to Bengaluru and begin over once more. I hope that this second half of my profession seems nice, and that’s the reason I wished that good feeling I get in Bengaluru,” Cheptegei mentioned. 

Cheptegei rated the 2024 Olympics 10,000m gold as a profession spotlight. Having claimed silver within the occasion within the earlier version, Cheptegei was solely centered on grabbing the highest prize at Paris.

“It was so shocking that I had by no means received an Olympic title within the 10,000m as a result of that’s my greatest occasion. I used to be not going to finish my monitor profession fortunately with out profitable the ten,000m. I went to Paris with one aim — win the ten,000m gold, not another medal,” Cheptegei mentioned.