01 January 2022 | Athletics

Based on times, positions in major events and win-loss records against fellow athletes, Joshua Cheptegei topped the 2021 men's 5000m world merit rankings.

The statistics collated by Athletics International alongside with Athletics Weekly reveal that Cheptegei emerged top in 2021 after winning 5000m Olympic Gold in Tokyo.

Just before the games, he had ran a distance 6th place result at the Golden Gala in Italy. He ran out of steam towards the end to relinquish victory to 20-year old Norwegian Jakob Ingebrigsten.

In that race, he posted a season’s best of 12:54.69 but couldn’t come close to Jakob’s 12:48:45 – a European record.

"There were surprisingly few major races," wrote Athletics Weekly about the 5000m ranking result.

"The panel was split between the top two; Ingebrigtsen raced 5000m just once but won in easily the year’s fastest race with 7 of the top 11 on the world lists from it, but while Cheptegei was ‘only’ 6th in Florence he went on to take the Olympic title. Zürich winner Berhihu Aregawi just misses a place."

Cheptegei also made it to second position in the 10,000m merit rankings behind 2020 Tokyo Olympic champion Selemon Barega of Ethiopia.

Barega won Gold while Cheptegei won silver at the tightly contested challenge. Kiplimo who won Olympic bronze was ranked third despite the panelists favouring him for second position.

"Two panellists preferred Kiplimo to Cheptegei for 2nd, and it is a mixed picture for 7th to 10th, weighing up limited top races, especial the Olympics and the fast Ethiopian trial in Hengelo," wrote Athletics Weekly.

World Merit Rankings

5000 METRES
1. Joshua Cheptegei UGA
12.9.96 (5y, 20- 1, 19- 5)
6 Florence 12:54.69
1 OG 12:58.15
2. Jakob Ingebrigtsen NOR
19.9.00 (1y, 19- 9)
1 Florence 12:48.45
3. Mohammed Ahmed CAN
5.1.91 (6y, 20- 4, 19- 7)
1 Irvine 13:18.49
3 Florence 12:50.12
2 OG 12:58.61 (13:38.96)
4. Paul Chelimo USA
27.10.90 (5y, 19- 10)
2/1 Virginia B 13:12.51i/13:09.90i
1 USA Ch/OT 13:26.82
3 OG 12:59.05 (13:30.15)
5. Nicholas Kimeli KEN
29.9.98 (3y, 20- 2, 19- 6)
2 Gateshead 13:10.11
1 KEN Ch 13:02.87A
4 OG 12:59.17
4 Zürich 13:02.43x
2 Nairobi 13:23.99A
6. Jacob Kiplimo UGA
14.11..00 (2y, 20- 3)
1 Luzern 12:55.60
5 OG 13:02.40 (13:30.40)
7. Hagos Gebrhiwet ETH
11.5.94 (7y, 19- 4)
2 Florence 12:49.02
8. Justyn Knight CAN
19.7.96 (1y)
5 Florence 12:51.93
7 OG 13:04.38 (13:30.22)
9. Mohamed Katir ESP
17.2.98 (1y)
1 Gateshead 13:08.52
4 Florence 12:50.79
2 ESP Ch 14:08.53
8 OG 13:06.60 (13:30.10)
10. Birhanu Yemataw Balew BRN
27.2.96 (3y)
7 Florence 12:57.71
6 OG 13:03.20 (13:39.42)
2 Zürich 13:01.27x
(x = irregular track in Zürich)

10,000 METRES
1. Selemon Barega ETH
20.1.00 (2y, 19- 5)
1 Addis Ababa 27:58.5A
1 ETH Trial 26:49.51
1 OG 27:43.22
2. Joshua Cheptegei UGA
12.9.96 (6y, 20- 1, 19- 1)
2 OG 27:43.63
3. Jacob Kiplimo UGA
14.11.00 (2y)
1 Ostrava 26:33.93
3 OG 27:43.88
4. Berihu Aregawi ETH
28.2.01 (1y)
1 ETH Ch 28:20.2A
3 ETH Trial 26:50.37
4 OG 27:46.16
5. Yomif Kejelcha ETH
1.8.97 (2y, 19- 2)
4 ETH-Ch 28:23.7A
2 ETH Trial 26:49.73
8 OG 27:52.03
6. Rodgers Chumo KEN
3.3.97 (3y, 19- 7)
1r1 Kobe 27:54.03
1 Fukoroi 27:33.33
1 Miyoshi 28:09.99
2 KEN Ch 27:05.51A
7 OG 27:50.06
7. Geoffrey Kamworor KEN
22.11.92 (4y, 19- 9)
1 KEN Ch 27:01.06A
8. Hagos Gebrhiwet ETH
11.5.94 (2y, 19- 4)
2 ETH-Ch 28:22.3A
4 ETH Trial 26:57.16
9. Grant Fisher USA
22.4.97 (1y)
2 San Juan C 27:11.29
2 US Ch/OT 27:54.29
5 OG 27:46.39
10. Mohammed Ahmed CAN
5.1.91 (3+y, 19- 8)
6 OG 27:47.76

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