Explained: Why Kenya's Faith Kipyegon's 5000m silver medal was reinstated

Kenya's star athlete, Faith Kipyegon, experienced a dramatic turn of events during the women's 5,000m final at the Paris Olympics. After a thrilling race where she narrowly missed out on gold to compatriot Beatrice Chebet, Kipyegon was dealt a devastating blow.

She was disqualified for allegedly obstructing Ethiopia's Gudaf Tsegay during the race.

The unexpected decision caused an uproar as Kipyegon believed she had secured at least a silver medal. The disqualification promoted Sifan Hassan of the Netherlands to silver and Italy's Nadia Battocletti to bronze.

Determined to overturn the decision, Kipyegon and Athletics Kenya appealed.

To their relief, and the surprise of many, the appeal was successful. Kipyegon was reinstated as the silver medalist, restoring Kenya's dominance in the event with a 1-2 finish.

The reinstatement of Kipyegon's medal brought the drama to a close. Notably, Sifan Hassan, who had briefly held the silver medal, showed remarkable sportsmanship by congratulating Kipyegon on her reinstatement.

While the outcome was positive for Kipyegon and Kenya, it was a bitter pill to swallow for Nadia Battocletti, who narrowly missed out on a podium finish despite setting an Italian record.

The incident serves as a reminder of the intense competition and the often controversial decisions made in top-level sports.