Red-hot Kiplangat, Choge light up Police championships at Kasarani

PHOTO | MOHAMMED AMIN | NATION Isaiah Kiplangat trains at Kimuka in Ngong on July 9 2012. Kiplangat retained the men’s 5,000m title as the Kenya Police Service Athletics Championships ended on May 17, 2014.

What you need to know:

  • A tough battle for places in Kenya’s 5,000m team is expected, what with Choge also seeking to recapture the title he won at the 2006 Melbourne Commonwealth Games.
  • Ndoro effortlessly keeps women’s 100m and 200m titles as Simiyu, Wekesa win men’s events.

World 5,000m bronze medallist Isaiah Kiplangat and 2006 Commonwealth Games 5,000m champion Augustine Choge won their races as the Kenya Police Service Athletics Championships ended Saturday.

Dominant Kiplangat retained the men’s 5,000m title as Choge won the 1,500m race at Kasarani Stadium.

The 20-year-old Kiplangat who represented Western showed power and class to literaly toy around with his challengers before going for the kill in the last two laps and retain his 5,000m title in 13:42.2 minutes.

Kiplangat edged out teammate Joseph Kitur and Sammy Kitwara from General Service Unit (GSU) to second and third places in 13:46.4 and 13:46.5 respectively.

“My body is responding well to training and I hope to stay free from injuries and make the team for the Commonwealth Games team,” said Kiplangat, the 2010 World Youth 3,000m champion.

A tough battle for places in Kenya’s 5,000m team is expected, what with Choge also seeking to recapture the title he won at the 2006 Melbourne Commonwealth Games.

DOMINANCE ENDS

Uganda’s Moses Kipsiro ended Kenya’s dominance to win both the 5,000m and 10,000m titles at the 2010 Delhi Commonwealth Games. This year’s Club Games are due for July 23 to August 3 in Glasgow, Scotland.

“I think the Commonwealth Games 5,000m title belongs to me and I will be out to recapture it, God-willing, in Glasgow,” said Choge, who won the 1,500m race in 3:35.5 ahead of reigning World Indoor 3,000m champion Caleb Mwangangi (3:35.80 and Abednego Chesebe (3:39.0).

“I am just looking for speed in the metric mile race,” said Choge, the 2003 World Youth 3,000m and 2004 World Junior 5,000m champion, who will compete at the Eugene Classic on May 31 in the USA alongside Mwangangi.

“This was just a warm up before heading for the USA,” he said.

Mwangangi is also targeting a place in the 1,500m team for the Club Games.

Janet Kisa who represented Kenya at the 2013 World Cross and 2014 Africa Cross won women’s 1,500m race in 4:16.0, beating 2010 Youth Commonwealth Games 1,500m champion Stacy Ndiwa (4:16.1) and Florence Korir (4:24.8) to second and third respectively.

The 2010 Delhi Commonwealth games bronze medallist Abraham Kiplagat won men’s 800m in 1:47.8 and declared that he will challenge for a place in the Commonwealth Games team.

“I feel great, having recovered from injury. I will aim at victory if I’m to make the team,” said Kiplagat, who beat David Mutunga (1:48.5) and Timothy Sein (1:48.9.

Janet Jelimo won women’s 800m title in 2:07.5, followed by Betty Njeri (2:08.7) and Sylvia Cherop (2:08.9).