The words “steeplechase” and “Kenya” are so synonymous that any discussion of that event must begin with the runners from the country which has virtually ruled the distance-plus-hurdle event for more than 25 years.
This year’s leading steepler at 7:59.65, Paul Koech, would seemingly be the one to beat, as the owner of three of the year’s top five performances. The only man to defeat Koech this season, 19-year-old Brimin Kipruto, also merits high consideration with 8:05.52 which led the world for more than a month.
The third Kenyan, Ezekiel Kemboi, had his year best (8:11.03) as the winner of the Paris TDK Golden League competition, but his performance times, in general, have not reached those from past seasons which saw silver medals at the Paris World Championships and Commonwealth Games.
Kenyan-born Saif Saaeed Shaheen of Qatar, who spent the first twenty-one of his twenty-two years as Stephen Cherono of Kenya, is the defending World and Commonwealth champion. But lacking the needed release from the Kenyan Federation after his nationality change, Shaheen must remain on the sideline as the others wrangle for the Athens steeple crown.
Although more than ten seconds off his PB 8:03.57 which came from his Sydney bronze-medal season, Morocco’s Ali Ezzine still distinguished himself last month in the Paris TDK Golden League as potentially the “best of the rest”.
Other non-Kenyans who may influence the final include European co-record holders Bob Tahri of France (8:15.11) and Simon Vroemen of the Netherlands (8:15.82).
The list is also augmented by other Europeans including the Spanish trio of European champion Antonio Jiménez (8:14.30), the Paris bronze medallist Eliseo Martín (8:18.38), and the Sydney fifth-placer Luis Miguel Martín (8:13.55).
Among the steeplechasers at the top of the Olympic list, Daniel Lincoln of the US (8:15.02) is an unknown quantity, his only international experience prior to this year coming after a grueling US university season. This year, he lowered his PB by an aggregate seven seconds in his first two races and could make a statement in the Athens final.
EG
