Saif Saaeed Shaheen of Qatar celebrates winning the 3000m steeplechase (© Getty Images)
Having just secured the World 3000m Steeplechase gold medal, which ended the long winning run in the event for his former country Kenya, Qatar’s Saif Saaeed Shaheen confirmed he will now also run the 5000m in Paris if he is given permission.
Shaheen, formerly Stephen Cherono who gained Qatar citizenship earlier this month, is the fastest in the world in both events this year and another gold in the 5000m would delight his new country who has agreed to pay him a monthly stipend of US$1000 for life.
But it will certainly cause further upset back in Kenya.
Shaheen admits half of his family is angered by his switch of nationality, and brother Abraham Cherono, who finished fifth in tonight’s final, offered no congratulations.
Shaheen says: “He is Kenyan, I am running for Qatar, we are two different people now so there were no congratulations. Fifty per cent of my family are so happy for me, the others are not, but I have been given a great welcome by Qatar.
“I have been trying to switch nationality since 2000 and it is a dream for me to win a gold medal for them, and if I can now run the 5000m I will try to give them another.”
Runner-up Ezekiel Kemboi refused to get too upset by the former Kenyan beating him for gold.
“To me, it was a Kenyan gold medal. He is Kenyan-born, and until earlier this month he ran for Kenya, so I see this as another Kenyan victory,” confirmed Kemboi.
Shaheen, responded: “You can call it a Kenyan medal, but it is the Qatar flag that will be raised tomorrow. I admit I have never heard the national anthem of Qatar, but I look forward to doing so tomorrow at the medal ceremony.”
The 20-year-old, who defeated Hicham El Guerrouj over 5000m earlier this year in Ostrava, claims he was playing with his rivals tonight.
“The first lap was around 59 seconds, which is what I wanted. I planned for it to be a very fast start but I wanted them to then close so I could prove again how fast I am over the last 200 metres.”
Shaheen admits he prefers the 5000m to the steeplechase but feels pressured to run over the barriers, as his older brother Christopher Kosgei won the World title in that event in 1999. But he says he will turn his back on the steeplechase after next year’s Olympics and concentrate on the 5000m.
