BY OUR CORRESPONDENT
The Kenyan trio of Edwin Kurgat, Jacob Krop and Ronald Kwemoi comfortably sailed to the 5000m final at the 2024 Paris Olympic Games.
Kurgat was finished fifth in Heat One in 14:08.76 behind Krop (14:08.73).
“Everything seemed to go well. I wanted to stay upfront to avoid all the drama – pushing and shoving,” he said.
“The coaches have reiterated that we be careful after many of my teammates have had problems. You all saw what happened to Faith (Kipyegon).”
“The coaches have asked us to avoid lane one… better run on the outside. It’s what I did today.”
“It’s the best feeling I have had in a long time (to wear Kenyan singlet). Getting this chance was a big moment for me. I am grateful and ready to give a big fight for a medal.”
Kwemoi finished sixth in Heat Two, timing 13:52.51, insisting it was the plan.
“I executed my race as planned. My target was to advance without expending too much energy. I kept counting those in front of me to ensure I am safely inside the automatic slots,” he said.
“Winning the heat was not important. There was nothing to claim. The qualifiers were tough but the final will be about tactics,” he said.
Krop observed: “It was a chaotic race, with a lot of pushing and shoving. That’s why I decided to stay upfront.”
