Asbel Kiprop and Mercy Cherono lead Kenyan charge in Beijing
Asbel Kiprop.
What you need to know:
- The men's 1500m final will be on Sunday which is the last day of the championships.
IN BEIJING
Asbel Kiprop on Thursday predicted a podium sweep for Kenyans in the 1500m of the 2015 World Athletics Championships.
Kiprop and the three other Kenyans in the event - Silas Kiplagat, Elijah Manangoi and Timothy Cheruiyot - advanced to semi-finals of the race set for for Friday.
Speaking after leading in the second heat in 3:38.13 at the ongoing World Championships in Beijing, Kiprop said that being a champion and world leader this year, he was aware of Kenyans’ expectations.
“I want to defend the title I won in Moscow two years ago. I believe all of us will do well. We just need to qualify for the final and all will be well,” he said.
Kiprop, who in July clocked 3:26.69 in Monaco, the fastest time in 14 years, ran behind most part of the race and later said he did not want to tire himself by running fast “and yet semi-finals and finals are still ahead”.
Ethiopia’s Aman Wote was second behind Kiprop in 3:39.05, Lionel Manzano (USA) 3:39.22, Pieter-Jan Hannes of Belgium, 3:39.31, Morhad Amdouni, France 3:39.38, Julian Matthews of New Zealand 3:39.55 and Charles Philibert of Canada in 3:39.72 finished in that order behind Kiprop to also qualify for semi-finals set for on Friday. Final will be on Sunday which is the last day of the championships.
The 2011 World silver medallist in Daegu, Korea, Silas Kiplagat despite producing the fastest time among the three heats, complained of the hot weather during the race held at 10.35 in the morning local time.
“Sijui kwa nini waliweka hii mbio asubuhi (I don’t understand why the put this race in the morning) when it is too hot. But I am happy the semi-finals tomorrow (Friday) will be held in the evening when it is cool,” said Kiplagat, who was sixth in Moscow 2013 and seventh in London Olympics 2012. This season he has won two Diamond League races, Shanghai and Paris.
His time of 3:38.13 made him the overall leader of the three heats, His heat three produced 11 semi-final qualifiers including Timothy Cheruiyot who finished sixth in the heat in 3:38.50 and Morocco’s Olympic bronze medallist Abadalaat Iguider who was just 0.1 second behind Kiplagat.
2008 Olympic silver medallist 32 year old Nick Willis of New Zealand was third in this heat in 3:38.27.
Manangoi who is attending his second major championship, said his heat was very slow, “but the time doesn’t matter because people are looking to reach final”.
Manangoi, 12th at last year's Commonwealth Games, topped heat one in 3:42.57 ahead of Olympic champion Taoufik Makhaloufi of Algeria in 3:42.72.
CHERONO THROUGH
In the women’s 5,000m, Mercy Cherono led her team-mates to Sunday’s final. She qualified alongside Irene Cheptai, Janet Kisa and Viola Kibiwott.
Cherono, who won silver at the 2013 Moscow Worlds, came home second in her heat won by Ethiopia’s Genzebe Dibaba.
From left: Kenya's Irene Chepet Cheptai, Ethiopia's Genzebe Dibaba and Kenya's Mercy Cherono compete in a heat of the women's 5000 metres athletics event at the 2015 IAAF World Championships at the "Bird's Nest" National Stadium in Beijing on August 27, 2015. PHOTO | PEDRO UGARTE | AFP
“Dibaba is my only threat. My body is Ok, I’m looking forward to a good race on Sunday,” Cherono said.
Cherono clocked 15:20.94 to finish behind the Ethiopian in heat one of the distance. Dibaba timed 15:20.82. Cheptai was fourth in 15:21.03 to join colleagues Kisa and Kibiwott in the final.
Kibiwott and Kisa ran in the second heat where they finished third and fourth in 15:15.27 and 15:26.49 respectively behind Ethiopians Almaz Ayana (15:09.40) and Senbere Teferi (15:14.57).
Dibaba, who is enjoying a rich vein of form that saw her set a new world record in 1500m (3:50.07) in the Monaco Diamond League in July, will be looking for her second gold at the championships, after winning to the 1500m on Tuesday. Kenyan and Ethiopian athletes have filled the top four places in the women’s 5000m at the World Championships for the past 10 years, and that looks set to continue here in Beijing.
Kibiwott said Ayana upped the speed in the latter part of the race but she did not want to go with her.
“I did not want to put too much effort at this stage,” Kibiwott, who was fourth in Moscow said. Kibiwott, who is aiming to make a podium finish in the final, said they anticipate a fast race in the final but they’ll be ready for the challenge on Sunday.
