Faith Kipyegon and Gudaf Tsegay’s rivalry reached its peak during the now-famous incident at the Paris Olympics. “She came in strong, and I protested, telling her that she was pushing me inside and out of my tracks. She then started pushing me further inside dramatically,”  Kipyegon had said in an interview post her 5000m race, where she was initially disqualified. The decision was eventually overturned, and Kipyegon got her silver medal, but the spark of a big rivalry was already ignited.

Gudaf Tsegay has laid down the marker now. And she isn’t backing away. The Ethiopian is eyeing Kipyegon’s 1500m world record of 3:48.68, and she is slowly inching closer to it. At the Silesia Diamond League, Tsegay clocked an impressive 3:50.62, en route to winning the race. While expressing her happiness at the win, she also spoke about the challenging conditions of the race. “Very big challenge is the weather for me. But, I’m so happy, really. 3:50 is not easy. Yeah, I’m so happy.” And, of course, she was asked about Faith Kipyegon.

Kipyegon, who had won gold in the 3000m run in a record time of 8:07.04, was in the stands during the Ethiopian’s race. The surprise? She was cheering for Tsegay! The interviewer pointed this out to Tsegay, to which she revealed, “Yeah, Faith is out of stadium is friend… Chebet, Faith, best friend, you know. ‘Hi’, ‘How are you’, like that. And then competition is another, out of competition is another. All people is friend, you know. This is sport, you know. ‘Oh, it’s very good,’ like that I see.”

Although that might come as a surprise to many, but even amid their on-track rivalry, the two African racers have deep and mutual respect for each other. This was evident from the fact that, after the Paris incident, Tsegay immediately apologised to the Nigerian. And Kipyegon, too, accepted the apology, and the water is firmly under the bridge on the feud.

Regardless of that, Faith Kipyegon was truly disappointed after the 5000m run at the Paris Olympics. And the reason was not the in-race scuffle with Gudaf Tsegay. So, what was it? Let’s hear it straight from the Kenyan star herself. 

Faith Kipyegon doesn’t blame Gudaf Tsegay for her Paris Olympics disappointment

During an interview with Citizen TV, Faith Kipyegon said, “I didn’t think I would be disqualified after finishing my race. Most people are saying that I was disappointed in getting a Silver medal, but I was not. I was disappointed by getting a disqualification for not knowing what I did. I was happy during my first interview that I won a silver medal before I was told that I had been disqualified in my second interview…I was disappointed.”

No doubt, it was all an honest mistake. In the heat of the moment, especially during long races like the 1500m and the 5000m, athletes get drained. Gasping for oxygen, as their muscles begin to spasm, all they can think of is to cross the finish line as soon as possible. And during such moments, it’s pretty tough to see one’s mistake. And that’s what Gudaf Tsegay probably experienced. But once she saw the replay and realized her mistake, she was quick to resolve things and bury the hatchet. 

However, the rivalry is still on. And that’s the nature of this sport. The 2025 World Championships are just a month away, and all eyes are on Kipyegon and Tsegay. About that, the Ethiopian had just four words to say – “We will see together.” And as fans, we shall wait for the action to commence.