Abel Kiprop defended his world marathon title to bag Kenya her seventh gold medal of the world athletics championship in Daegu South Korea. Kiprop completed the race in a time of 2 hours 7 minutes and 38 seconds way ahead of compatriot Vincent Kipruto who finished in 2:10:06 to complete another 1,2 finish for the Kenyan team on the penultimate day of the championship. Kenya has finished third in the championship behind the United States and Russia with seven gold medals six silver and 4 bronze.
The highlight of these impressive results has to be Vivian Cheruiyot’s remarkable double in the 10,000 and 5,000 meters becoming the first ever Kenyan to do so. She was also the only athlete in Daegu to bag double individual gold after the favourite to do so Usain bolt from Jamaica was sensationally disqualified in the final of the 100 meters. Edna Kiplagat led a clean sweep on the opening day of the championship to set the stage for what would be a remarkable outing especially for the women’s team. Asbel Kiprop made up for his error in the Berlin championship where he sat back and could not match the kick of the eventual champion Yusuf Saad Kamel finishing a disappointing fourth. This time though he stayed with the front park and dashed for the finish with about three hundred meters to the finish line.
Ezekiel Kemboi bagged the gold in what has come to be a preserve for Kenyans the 3,000 meters steeplechase finishing ahead of compatriot Brimin Kipruto who set the second fastest ever time in the distance a month ago. David Lekuta Rudisha proved to the world he is the king of middle distance running comfortably winning the 800 meters race ahead of Sudan’s Abubakar Kaki.
With less than 350 days left to the London Olympics all the team can do is work on getting medals in the other events such as the elusive 5,000 meter men as well as the 10,000 meters event. Overall the Kenyan team produced a brilliant performance and we shall be hoping to get a repeat of Daegu at the biggest stage of them all, the Olympics.
References
Kenyan runner snatches first gold at Daegu worlds in women’s marathon
Jijuze 