Paris 2024: Beatrice Chebet completes Olympic double as Tunisia get first gold

Chebet’s two golds in the space of five days mean Kenya top Africa’s medal table with two days of competition in the French capital left – although team-mates Margaret Kipkemboi and Lilian Kasait Rengeruk finished just outside of the 10,000m medal positions.

The pace of the final felt comparatively slow at stages, with Chebet’s winning time almost two minutes slower than the world record time of 28:54.14 she set back in May at a Diamond League meeting in Eugene.

However, when the pack broke into a sprint with one lap remaining Chebet pulled away on the final turn to deliver Kenya’s first gold medal in the event as Italy’s Nadia Battocletti took silver and Sifan Hassan of the Netherlands picked up bronze.

“I have made history in Kenya,” Chebet said.

“No matter who comes after me, they’ll always say Beatrice was the first Kenyan woman to win a gold medal in the 10,000m.”

Across the city there was glory for Tunisia as Katoussi won his gold medal match at the Grand Palais, beating his Iranian opponent Mehran Barkhordari by two rounds to nil.

The 28-year-old, who lives in Manouba, is a four-time African champion but was competing at his first Olympics.

However, there was disappointment for Hugues Fabrice Zango as the Burkinabe finished fifth in the men’s long jump final.

The 31-year-old, the reigning world champion, could only manage a distance of 17.50m – 14 centimetres short of bronze medal position and 34cm short of gold medallist Jordan Diaz of Spain.

Algeria’s Yasser Triki finished in ninth place with a jump of 17.22m.

Africa will have its eye on more medals on Saturday after Egypt’s Ahmed Elgendy topped the qualifiers for the final of the mens’ modern pentathlon, having set a new Olympic record of 1516 points.

The competition will culminate with the final rounds of show jumping, fencing, 200m freestyle swimming and laser run.

Meanwhile Kenyan team-mates Eliud Kipchoge and Faith Kipyegon will bid for their third successive Olympic titles, in the men’s marathon and women’s 1500m respectively.