Faith Kipyegon says Ethiopia's Tsegay knelt, asked her for forgiveness

Fresh from bagging silver (5000m) and gold (1500m) in the recently concluded Paris 2024 Olympics, Kenyan star Faith Kipyegon was all smiles as she reflected on the happenings of the summer games.

Speaking on JKL, Kipyegon said the drama that unfolded in the 5000m was unfortunate but she has put it behind her.

During the race, the Kenyan runner and Ethiopian Gudaf Tsegay appeared to engage in a tussle that subsequently led to the disqualification of the former despite her second-place finish.

The decision was later appealed and Kipyegon was awarded the silver.

"Tsegay came in strong and I protested telling her that she was pushing me out of the track. She then started pushing me further inside dramatically. I fought back and came back to my lane...

“After the race, she came and knelt before me and told me she was very sorry, that it was not my fault but hers, 'please forgive me'. I just forgave her knowing that it is sports and we will meet again another time and we need each other to compete," she said.

Kipyegon, who set an Olympic record in the 1500m, said her daughter is her greatest source of motivation as she even asked her why she did not win the 5000m race.

“My daughter is a great source of my motivation. On many occasions when I fall short of coming first, she calls to ask why I never win. I'm really motivated by that," she said.

She added that she is happy she made the entire nation proud and will continue to work hard and attempt to break more world records.

Kipyegon also heaped praise on marathon great Eliud Kipchoge saying despite the setback he suffered in Paris by not finishing the race, he is still one of the best in the world and she hopes to borrow a leaf from him.

She said they are managed by the same agency and often train together ahead of global events.