PARIS — Kenya’s Beatrice Chebet won the gold medal in the women’s Olympic 5,000 meters as she sprinted home to claim the title after a textbook performance on Monday, while her compatriot Faith Kipyegon was initially disqualified after finishing second and then later reinstated to claim the silver medal.
Chebet won in a time of 14 minutes 28.56 seconds as the Netherlands’ Sifan Hassan (14:30.61) initially claimed silver and Italian Nadia Battocletti bronze (14:31.64). After the reinstatement, Hassan was moved down to bronze.
Chebet produced a thrilling finish to win the first medal for her country at the Paris Olympics and smiled wide as she crossed the line after an exhausting performance.
World champion Kipyegon had finished second in 14:29.60 but was briefly disqualified after a clash with Ethiopian world-record holder Gudaf Tsegay on the penultimate lap. She was reinstated upon appeal.
Chebet, the 2022 World Championships in Eugene and bronze medalist in Budapest last year, took the early lead and hung in with Kipyegon through much of the race before surging past her off the final bend.
She kept her cool as Kipyegon collided at the start of the penultimate lap with Tsegay, who grimaced but continued, and accelerated from there.
Tokyo champion Hassan was in fifth place heading into the final 400 and dug deep to try to hang onto her Olympic crown, breaking into a sprint, but could not match the Kenyans’ speed around the final turn.
Chebet hugged and cheered with Kipyegon as the pair donned Kenyan flags to wild cheers from the packed Stade de France.
It appeared, however, that Kipyegon would not join her on the podium as her name disappeared from the results list and she was then marked disqualified, dissolving the joy.
“I am so sad for Faith and I hope justice will be done. Because Faith did not do anything bad,” Chebet told reporters before the reinstatement was announced. “I think she will get it [the medal] in the end.”
Hassan stood squinting at a monitor showing the results as Battocletti stood by in a confusing scene minutes after the race.
“I’m happy for you guys — for me, I don’t care,” Hassan said.
The Dutchwoman will continue a grueling Paris campaign with the 10,000 and marathon next on her agenda.
“It’s my crazy thing, I just want to complete it. I know people have done [three events] before, but not in the 10,000 meters and marathon. I’m very curious,” Hassan said.
“Could I podium? Could I even complete [the races]? I’m trying to fight with myself.”
Reuters contributed to this story.
