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Cheptegei is the tenth man in history to hold the 5000m and 10000m world records concurrently, both set in 2020.
Celebrated athletics commentator Robert Walker has encouraged 5000m and 10000m world record holder Joshua Cheptegei to aim at winning double gold at both the major championships.
There is growing debate over whether it would be viable for Cheptegei to attempt winning both the 5000m and 10000m gold medals at the 2023 World Championships in August and the 2024 Paris Olympics.
Recently, his coach Addy Ruiter stated that Cheptegei is not under obligation to win the double over the risk of the physical toll it can have on his body.
But Walker thinks that it is not impossible for Cheptegei to hold all titles, and can draw inspiration from legends like Kenenisa Bekele, Mo Farah and Haile Gebrselassie.
“It is not impossible,” Walker told Pulse Sports, adding; “Because Kenenisa Bekele has done it, Haile Gebrselassie and Mo Farah has done it.”
“However, there is an excess of excellence when it comes to 5000m and 10000m running at the moment.”
“If you look at how quickly someone like Selemon Barega can change pace, if Joshua is less than 100%, it is going to be hard for him to win both golds.”
“If you ask me whether Joshua has the ability to win double gold at the same global championship, the answer is yes,” he explained.
Cheptegei is the reigning Olympic champion in the 5000m and silver medalist for the 10000m, a two-time 10000m World champion from 2019 and 2022.
He is World silver medalist from 2017, and the 2019 World Cross Country champion. Cheptegei also won gold medals for the 5000m and 10000m at the 2018 Commonwealth Games.
“I think he has done really well to collect two medals at each of the last major championships, not all of them gold,” Walker stated.
“Ruiter is right to say that, Joshua should not be under obligation to go for double gold, however it should all go down to instinct.”
“If his instinct is for him to go for the double, then he should go for it. If he feels his summer has not went on as he would have expected, maybe he plans for one rather than both (championships),” he continued.
Cheptegei is the tenth man in history to hold the 5000m and 10000m world records concurrently, both set in 2020.
In August 2020, at the Monaco Diamond League meet, he set a new 5000m world record of 12:35.36, breaking Kenenisa Bekele's 16-year-old world record of 12:37.35 set in Hengelo.
On 7 October 2020, in Valencia, he set a world record time of 26:11.00 in the 10000m, which again improved on Kenenisa Bekele's 15-year-old best by more than 6 seconds.
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