Joy as Kenya youths beat track bigwigs USA
What you need to know:
- Elated Athletics chairman Kiplagat congratulates the young stars
On the final day of the World Junior Athletics Championships that ended in Moncton Canada, USA were all packing their bags, having won the overall title.
Both Kenya and USA were tied on gold — six apiece. But when David Mutinda Mutua returned first after one minute 46.41 seconds in the men’s 800m final, Kenya had just snatched the title, a third time in the championship’s history.
“We are very happy with the runners,” said an elated Isaiah Kiplagat, the Athletics Kenya chairman.
Retaining steeplechase
The event will be remembered for the retaining of the 3000m flat and 3000m steeplechase by Mercy Cherono and Jonathan Ndiku.
Mercy made history to become the first woman to retain a World Junior championship title over the 3000m distance when she earned Kenya its first medal on the first day.
Ndiku, 19, was a superb winner of the men’s 3000m steeplechase final, clocking 8:23.48. He became the first man to win back-to-back steeplechase titles in the World Junior race and his country’s 12th title.
“This race is our culture. It’s a Kenyan race,” he said.
Cherono not only clinched her fourth junior medal in youth and junior championship, but did it in style to set the world’s fastest time this season over the age group category — 8:55.07.
