Kenyan women rocked, now it is men’s turn to strut their stuff
What you need to know:
- The victory brought Kenya’s medal tally to 12 medals; five gold, five silver and two bronze. The first sweep came in women’s 10,000m with Joyce Chepkirui, Florence Kiplagat and Emily Chebet doing the damage on Tuesday.
- Kirui said they will endeavour to deliver similar results at the Africa Championships due next week in Morocco. “I hope Chemos will have recovered ready for the race.”
Kenya’s steeplechase runners Purity Kirui, Milcah Chemos and Joan Kipkemoi have turned their focus to the Africa Championships in Morocco next week after staging a sweep at Glasgow Commonwealth Games.
Kirui, a former World junior champion Kirui, outclassed defending champion Chemos to victory in women’s 3000m steeplechase to make her intentions for the African title. “It’s never enough since I have just started,” declared Kirui, the 2010 World Junior gold medallist .
Kirui zoomed past Chemos, who is also the 2010 Africa champion, just after the last hurdle to win in 9:30.96. Chemos, who is also the reigning World champion, was happy to get silver in season’s best 9:31.30 after they warded off a late charge from Australia rivals for the sweep.
Kipkemoi donned bronze in 9:33.34 for her first international major silverware as Kenya staged its first sweep over the distance in major races.
Australians Madeline Heiner and Genevieve Lacaze, who almost interupted Kenya’s glory came in fourth and fifth with personal best 9:34.01 and 9:37.04.
The victory brought Kenya’s medal tally to 12 medals; five gold, five silver and two bronze. The first sweep came in women’s 10,000m with Joyce Chepkirui, Florence Kiplagat and Emily Chebet doing the damage on Tuesday.
The 2012 World junior champion Faith Chepng’etich won gold in women’s 1,500m, days after Philomena Cheyech and Caroline Kilel staged a 1-2 feat in women’s marathon. Stephen Chemlany had opened the medal hunt with silver in men’s marathon.
“I was quite sure of victory when I woke up in high spirits,” Kirui said. “We knew Chemos wasn’t feeling well with a hamstring injury so we decided to take it slow as we took precautions against the Australians.”
DELIVER SAME RESULTS
Kirui said they will endeavour to deliver similar results at the Africa Championships due next week in Morocco. “I hope Chemos will have recovered ready for the race.”
Chemos indicated that the hamstring wasn’t bad up until the chilly weather crept in at the Hampden Park. “Cold didn’t make it easy for me with the recovery hamstring injury. After all this cold weather and rains have never favoured Kenyans,” Chemos said. “I am still happy with silver.”
Chemos, who won bronze medals at the 2001 Berlin and 2011 Daegu Worlds respectively before striking gold in Moscow 2013, said she will decide in a week’s time whether she will compete at the Africa Championships. “I want to see how the injury will respond to training and treatment,” Chemos said. “It’s my desire to win again the Africa title and make the World Cup.”
Chemos won at the 2010 Delhi Games.
