Slick Chepng’etich relentless

World Youth champion Rosefline Chepng’etich showed class and talent to effortlessly win her 2,000m steeplechase heat to qualify for the final at the Youth Olympics in Nanjing, China.

Fresh from winning silver in 3,000 steeplechase at the World Junior Championships in July in the US, Chepng’etich glided to a season best 6:20.10, beating Ethiopia’s Zewdenesh to second place in 6:37.65.

Chepng’etich, 17, will now feature in the final scheduled for Monday.

Kenya’s Amos Kirui also qualified for men’s 2,000m steeplechase final after he finished third in the heats clocking 5:41.70. Ethiopia’s Africa Youth champion won the heat in personal best 5:34.24, beating Moroccan Hicham Chemlal in 5:39.60.

FASTEST QUALIFYING TIME

Another Kenyan, Gilbert Kwemoi posted the fastest qualifying time and personal best 3:45.21 to reach men’s 1,500m final. He edged out Mohamed Ismail Ibrahim from Djibouti in personal best 3:47.06 as Rwandese James Sugira also posted personal best 3:47.28 to also reach the final.

Ajay Kumar Saroj from Indian stunned the field in 1,500m heat two, winning in a personal best 3:51.71. Saroj upset favourites Moroccan Mostafa Smaili (3:51.90) and Mulugeta Assefa (3:52.26) respectively.

Kenya’s Geoffrey Kipng’etich, Winfred Mbithe and Anthony Kiptoo will be in action today starting at 2pm.

Kipng’etich will compete in men’s 400m heat that goes down at 2.15pm while Mbithe, who has the best time cross the field of 4:13.80, will slug it out in women’s 1,500m starting 2:40pm.

Kiptoo is up at 4pm in men’s 800m third heat where there will be stiff competition to qualify for the final.

Kiptoo has the best time of 1:50.54 in the third heat but Ethiopian Bocha Morka (1:47.08) and Myles Marshalls (1:48.43) have the best times in heat two and one respectively.