Olympic 1500m silver medalist Asbel Kiprop (left) on his way to winning the 1500m at the New KCC/Athletics Kenya weekend meeting in Nakuru (© David Macharia)
Nakuru, KenyaWhat was billed to be a fierce battle in the 1500m turned out to be a stroll in the park for Olympic silver medalist Asbel Kiprop at the third New KCC/Athletics Kenya weekend track and field meeting at the Afraha Stadium in Nakuru.
On Friday, the stage had been set for what would have been a dramatic finale after former World indoor champion Daniel Kipchirchir Komen – coming back after a long spell out with injury and loss in form – qualified for the final with the fastest time of 3:44.03 on the murram track.
But Komen failed to show up in the final for unknown reasons, as did steeplechase star Paul Kipsiele Koech, who had also qualified for the final, allowing Kiprop to stroll to victory in 3:40.08.
It was yet another fine outing for Kiprop who stole the show in the second weekend meeting in Nyeri a fortnight ago but who has been in the news in the last week for the wrong reasons after being thrown out of the High Performance Training Centre in Eldoret for allegedly sneaking in a visitor without the express permission of camp authorities.
“I did not have serious opponents and that is why I ran from the front. It was a good race but I should have ran a better time,” said Kiprop who was running for the Kenya Police team.
Administration Police runner, Cornelius Cheboi, finished second in 3:41.3 with policeman Josephat Kithii third in 3:41.7.
With Kenya’s road to the IAAF World Athletics Championships in Berlin this summer the main focus, the meeting in Nakuru, 150 kilometres west of Nairobi, was forced to end prematurely to allow for a Kenyan Premier League football match at the same venue.
But this was not before World junior 3000m Steeplechase record holder Ruth Bosibori had electrified the crowd by clocking the fastest 5000m race in 16:08.08, her victory determined by time as the organisers could not assemble the final in time and had to rely on fastest times clocked in the heats.
Bosibori is known to using the 5000m to build her endurance and is expected to scale down and concentrate on her speciality, the steeplechase, closer to the Kenyan selection meeting for Berlin.
“I’m happy with my start to the season and I hope all goes well and I go all the way to Berlin,” said the policewoman.
New names cropped up at the meeting, most significantly in the 3000m Steeplechase, Kenya’s specialty race, in which unknown Bernard Mbugua won in 9.05:06, ahead of Mike Kimutai (9:10.03) and Abraham Chirchir (9.15:08).
“I decided to sprint early because I knew they could beat me if I went with them to the home stretch,” the excited Mbugua said after the race.
Kenya Police athletes dominated the show with Margaret Wangare winning the 1500m race in 4:22.5.
“I hoped to improve on my personal best time that stands at 4:11 but I lacked the push from the rest of the field,” Wangare said.
The men’s 10,000m title fell to upcoming junior Alex Oloitiptip in 29:02.03 while Michael Kiprop (13:06.0) won the 5000m.
The fourth meeting of the six-meet New KCC/Athletics Kenya weekend meeting series will be in Kakamega on April 17 and 18.
Elias Makori for IAAF
Selected results:
Women: 100m hurdles: 1. Florence Wasike (Prisons) 15.1 seconds, 2. Tabitha Mwihaki (Kahawa) 16.3, 3. Maureen Chelagat 17.5.
3,000m steeplechase: 1. Milka Chemos (Police) 10:31.2, 2. Judith Chepkoech (Kipteden) 10:36.0, 3. Martha Chelimo (Kuresoi) 10:48.0.
1,500m: 1. Margaret Wangare (Police) 4:22.5, 2. Beth Njeri (Esmi) 4:27.8, 3. Stella Chebet (Kiptenden) 4:29.6.
10,000m: 1. Monica Wangare (Police) 32:47.0, 2. Ann Wanjiru (individual entry) 33:02.0 3. Hellen Mugo 33:19.0.
800m: 1. Winnie Chebet 2:08.6, 2. Cherono Koech 2:09.0, 3. Nelly Cheptanui (Navy) 2:09.4.
100m: 1. Zipporah Ratemo (Prisons) 12.3, 2. Milicent Ndolo (Police) 12.4, 3. Grace Kidage (Posta) 12.8.
Men: 10,000m: 1. Alex Oloitiptip (Riruta) 29:02.3, 2. Kirui Cheruiyot (Cheptet) 29:04.2 3. Joseph Kiptonik (AP) 29:04.4.
400m hurdles: 1. Silvester Muteti (MAB) 52.9, 2. Kiprono Koskei (Nrb) 53.1 3. John Kitui (Police) 53.3.
400m: 1. Thomas Musembi (Prisons) 46.1, 2. Solomon Bwoga (Navy) 47.2, 3. Mark Mutai (MAB) 47.6.
20km walk: 1. Eric Shikuku 1:27.2.0, 2. John Lenaman (Thika) 1:31.0.2.
1,500m: 1. Asbel Kiprop (Police) 3:40.8, 2. Cornelius Cheboi (AP) 3:41.3, 3. Josephat Kithii (Police) 3:41.7.
5,000m: 1. Michael Kiprop (Thika) 13:06.0, 2. Leonard Lagat 14:02.1, 3. Gilbert Masai (ind) 14:03.6.
800m: 1. Hosea Kandie (Lanet) 1:49.2, 2. Abraham Sawe (HPTC) 1:49., 3. Andrew Kiptoo (HPTC) 1:49.9.
3,000m steeplechase: 1. Bernard Mbugua (Esmi) 9:05.6, 2. Mike Kimutai 9:10.3, 3. Abraham Chirchir 9:15.8.