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Ugandan long-distance runner Joshua Cheptegei had been expected to live up to the favourite-tag billing over the 5000m race at the Rome Diamond League in Italy on Thursday.
And, the world record holder was well in control only to bottle it and lose the race with 600m left at the Stadio Luigi Ridolfi in Florence.
Cheptegei painfully withered to finish a distant sixth place, posting a respectable season-best time of 12 minutes and 54.69 seconds.
The 24-year-old’s aim had been a victory to boost his confidence ahead of the 10000m final at the Tokyo Olympics next month.
“Yesterday was not my day,” Cheptegei posted on social media on Friday. “But the Silverback will keep on fighting towards the Olympics in Tokyo,” he warned.
The race was won by fast-rising Norwegian Jakob Ingebrigtsen who posted a new European record time of 12:48.45.
The race in Florence was Cheptegei’s last race before the Olympics and he ought to have won it to send a loud message to his challengers for the 10000m gold medal.
He will nonetheless hope to return to winning ways on July 30, something, if achieved, will make him the country’s greatest athlete ever.
Cheptegei’s counterpart Winnie Nanyondo had a respectable fifth-place finish over the 1500m but she still could not break the four-minute barrier. She posted a season-best though of 4:00.84.
It had been a fast race with attention on Dutch Sifan Hassan who, four days after obliterating the 10000m world record in Hengelo, Netherlands, edged Olympic champion Faith Kipyegon to win a meeting record of 3:53.63.
ROME DIAMOND LEAGUE
RACE RESULTS
MEN’S 5000M
1 Jakob Ingebrigtsen (NOR) 12:48.45
2 Hagos Gebrhiwet (ETH) 12:49.02
3 Mohammed Ahmed (CAN) 12:50.12
4 Mohamed Katir (ESP) 12:50.79
5 Justyn Knight (CAN) 12:51.93
6 Joshua Cheptegei (UGA) 12:54.69
WOMEN’S 1500M
1 Sifan Hassan (NED) 3:53.63
2 Faith Kipyegon (KEN) 3.53.91
3 Laura Muir (GBR) 3:55.59
5 Winnie Nanyondo (UGA) 4:00.84
MEN’S 3000M STEEPLECHASE
1 Soufiane El Bakkali (MAR) 8:08.54
2 Tadese Takele (ETH) 8:10.56
3 Mohamed Tindouft (MAR) 8:11.65
10 Albert Chemutai (UGA) 8:23.96
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This writer is a global broadcaster and as well a scribe with Daily Monitor Newspaper and sports presenter with Radio One FM 90 in Kampala. Follow him on Twitter: @AllanDarren and his Facebook Page: Darren Allan Kyeyune