Asbel Kiprop wins the 3000 in Turin (© Lorenzo Sampaolo)
Three breathtaking distance races – two at 1500m and one at 5000m – ensured a dramatic fifth and final day at the 9th All Africa Games here in the 5 July Olympic Stadium. Gelete Burka was duly rewarded for her brave front running over 1500m but there were upsets in the men’s 1500m and 5000m.
None of three finals was fast but each was compelling. In the women’s 1500 Burka encountered stiff resistance from behind before breaking her challengers 300m from home. In the men’s 1500m and 5000m sprint finishes delivered victories for Kenya’s Asbel Kiprop and Uganda’s Moses Kipsiro.
Kipsiro surprises T. Bekele
Kipsiro’s triumph spoiled Tariku Bekele’s attempt to win the title held by his brother, Kenenisa. Kenenisa had triumphed in Abuja in 2003 and, choosing not to defend, left the job to Tariku who, at 20, is five years his junior. But Kipsiro burst past the younger Bekele, and Kenya’s Kiprono Menjo, in the last 30 metres to win Uganda’s first gold of the Games.
Bekele and his fellow Ethiopians, Abraham Cherkos and Mohamed Ali Abdosh, had dominated the race from the front and, with 500m to go, they spread across the track in lead formation. And, coming off the final bend, Bekele, with the faster times to his credit, seemed to have victory in his sights.
But Kipsiro had the measure of Bekele, the World Junior champion, taking his victory in 13:12.51, while Menjo also passed the tiring Bekele to take silver in 13:12.64. Bekele held on for bronze in 13:13.43. Kipsiro, with a personal best of 13:01.88 set last year, trains with the Kenyans in London.
Aged 20, Kipsiro played down any suggestion that he might be a medal contender at the 11th IAAF World Championships in Athletics in Osaka starting in Osaka on August 25. “I am not strong yet but I am coming up,” he said. Up and coming, too, is Kiprop, the World Junior cross country champion.
Kiprop, Burka take 1500m titles
It was an event that held the promise of the host nation’s only gold medal on the track, either from Tarek Boukensa or Antar Zerguelaine. The promise seemed destined to be fulfilled coming off the final bend, with both Algerians positioned prominently, but Kiprop had the change of pace to pass both in the closing strides. Kiprop clocked 3:38.97, with Zerguelaine second (3:39.04) and Boukensa third (3:39.18).
Burka triumphed in 4:06.09 having run the entire race from the front. Kenya’s Veronica Nyaruai and Algeria’s Nahida Touhami, who would finish second and third, made valiant but ultimately unsuccessful attempts to stick with the 21-year-old Burka.
Burka, whose first name means “praise” in her mother tongue of Oromifa, has built this season on her past successes – World Junior cross country champion in 2005 and senior World Short Course champion in 2006. She has improved her best 5000m twice, most recently to 14:31.20, and she said here that “maybe” she would attempt a 1500/5000m double in Osaka.
With Gaisah sidelined, Garnamotse take Long Jump title
Ignisious Gaisah, the men’s Long Jump title-holder, from Ghana, pulled out of the final because of a longstanding injury which threatens his form in Osaka. As Gaisah watched from the sidelines, he saw a fluctuating competition as Assam Nima led for Algeria after four rounds (7.98), Arnaud Casquette, of Mauritius, after five (8.03) and Gable Garenamotse after the decisive sixth (8.08). Casquette held second place to the end but Nima lost out on bronze to South Africa’s Khotos Mokoena (7.99).
Since winning in Abuja in 2003, Gaisah has added a silver medal from the 2005 World Championships, and the 2006 Commonwealth Games and World Indoor titles, but his form this season has been modest.
Although he has several jumps of just over 8 metres to his credit, his best is 8.08, behind season’s best marks for Mokoena of 8.34A, Garenamotse (8.18) and Badji (8.11). “This is all because of my injury,” Gaisah said. He has been suffering from knee tendonitis since last year.
“I thought rest would be best and that was the main reason I skipped the indoor season,” Gaisah added. “I started competing again at the beginning of May and when I hit the board I cannot use the momentum and that is why I am not performing well.”
“It did not feel right after the qualification on Friday and I decided not to jump instead of risking worse damage. The doctor told me there was much inflammation. I will go back to Munich to continue my treatment but I have a competition in Monaco (IAAF Super Grand Prix) on Wednesday and I hope I can compete there.”
Sudan won their third gold medal courtesy of Muna Jebir in the women’s 400m Hurdles. Jebir, 22, broke 55 seconds for the first time, recording 54.93, to establish herself as a contender to reach the final in Osaka. But she has set her ambitions higher. “I want to run 53sec and win a medal in Osaka,” Jebir, who trains in Ifrane, Morocco, said.
Nigeria’s 21-year-old Damola Osayemi completed a sprint double, adding the 200m title in 23.21 from Ghana’s Vida Anim (23.29) while the 400m champion, Amantle Montsho, from Botswana, placed fifth (23.71). Osayemi follows in the footsteps of a double achieved twice by her compatriot, Mary Onyali, in 1995 and 2003.
Osayemi thus helped Nigeria to top the medals table with nine golds while two on the last day for South Africa – from Robert Oosthuizen in the men’s Javelin (78.05m) and Leigh Julius in the men’s 200m (20.81) – secured that country second place on seven.
David Powell for the IAAF
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