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Uganda's long distance superstar athlete Joshua Cheptegei is the proud holder of the world Cross-country gold, 5000m Diamond League trophy and is the 10000m world champion.
This is in addition to rewriting World Records in the 5km at the Monaco Herculis Run on February 16 and 10km race at the Valencia Alfonso in Spain.
The 24 year old went a step further in August taking almost two seconds off Ethiopian Kenenisa Bekele’s 5000m 12:37.35 world record by posting a time of 12:35.36 at the Herculis Diamond League meeting in Monaco.
For many, the latest feat could easily have been enough satisfaction considering that Bekele’s fallen record stood for16 years, two months, and 14 days.
Instead Cheptegei is targeting bigger feats and will on Wednesday 07 October attempt to break Bekele’s 15-year-old world 10,000m record of 26:17.53.
But like in Monaco is confident the record will go down in Valencia.
“As my performance in Monaco showed I am in outstanding form, so I would like to make the most of my current shape by attacking the 10,000m world record,” said the 25-year-old.
“Kenenisa’s 10,000m world record is one of the toughest in the books, but my training continues to go well, and this gives me real confidence I can set another world record.”
“I have many happy memories in Valencia having set the world 10km road record there last year,” Cheptegei told the Olympic channel in an interview.
He has also received the backing of Bekele who is a teammate at their NN Running team as well as another Ethiopian long distance great Haile Gebrselassie.
“I was delighted that the record went to Joshua, one of my NN Running teammates (in the 5,000m). He is an outstanding talent, who is clearly in great form and I wish him all the best in pursuit of the 10,000m world record in Valencia,” Bekele said of his teammate with Gebrselassie in agreement.
“I watched the 5,000m world record in Monaco, and it didn’t look hard [for him] compared to the time I ran the 5,000m,” Gebrselassie opined.