Finally, Joshua Cheptegei is an Olympic champion after winning 5000m Olympic Gold.

The 5,000m world record holder is the Tokyo Olympics champion after clocking 12:58.12 to win the men’s final race at the Olympic Stadium here on Friday.

Cheptegei, the world record holder over the 5,000m, won silver behind Ethiopia’s Selemon Barega in the 10,000m final on the opening day of the athletes programme in Tokyo.

Canada’s Mohammed Ahmed took silver in 12:58.61 while USA’s Paul Chelimo completed the podium with the bronze medal in 12:59.05.

Kenya’s sole representative in the 5000m final, Nicholas Kimeli, was out-sprinted by the medallists in the homestraight, to finish fourth in 12:59.19.

The historic win made Cheptegei the first Ugandan to win the event as he bagged the Olympic gold that had eluded him.

Kenyan-born Chelimo dived at the finish line to secure bronze in front of Kimeli of Kenya.