Kenyans strike gold and silver
Kenya’s Hilary Kipsang Yego competes in the boys’ steeplechase on day three of the IAAF World Youth Championships at the Bressanone Sports Complex in Bressanone, Italy. Photo/ IAAF
Nairobi’s Riruta Central Secondary School, Nelly Chebet Ngeiywo, destroyed a plot by Ethiopians to earn a gold in the girls’ 1,500 metres here on Saturday.
The form three student who also won the world junior 5,000m silver medal in Poland last year, conserved her energy by letting Ethiopia’s Gete Dima run in front for most of the distance.
With 200 metres to go Ngeiywo sprinted passed Dima who failed to respond, thus allowing the Kenya to take gold in a new personal best of 4:12.76. Her old PB was 4:17.10.
The Ethiopian took the silver in 4:15.16 ahead of Amela Terzic of Serbia, 4:16.71. A powerful surge by the Serbia at bell saw the other Kenyan in the race, Stella Chebet, burn and finish 11th in 4:31.06 and last was Ethiopian Merima Mohammed in 4:33.04.
The presence of Sports Minister Hellen Sambili, who arrived in Bressanone on Saturday morning, buoyed the youthful Kenyan runners.
Ngeiywo is among the athletes who were moved from Mt Elgon to the Nairobi school due to the insecurity caused by the Sabaot Land Defence Forces before the militia was crushed by government security forces. She is in form three, the same as another top athlete Pauline Korikwang.
Despite hitting two hurdles, a form four student Jeremiah Kipkorir Mutai on Saturday won a silver for Kenya in the 400m hurdles at the sixth World Youth Championships.
He immediately hoped his win in the event, rarely competed in by Kenya internationally, would help change the belief that Kenyans are only good in long races.
“Had I not hit the two hurdles, I would have taken the race,” Mutai, a student at Moi Amaro Secondary School in Molo said.
The member of the Sigowet Club of Kericho was not favourite among the finalists because there was home boy Jose De Leon of with a personal best time of 51.50, the eventual gold winner Norge Sotomayor of Cuba (51.85) and Amadou Ndiaye of Senegal (51.98).
The Cuban took gold in this year’s world youth lead time of 51.30 seconds, Mutai’s time was 51.45 seconds while bronze went to De Leon in 51.74.
