Kenya out to end jinx in 5,000m

IN LONDON

Kenya men’s 5,000 metres team of veteran Kiprono Menjo, upstarts Cyrus Rutto and Davis Kiplagat hope to put behind last year’s Olympics debacle Wednesday night to qualify for the final.

For the first time in a major championship, Kenya failed to qualify an athlete in the men’s 5,000m final at the Olympics in Rio when world 5,000m silver medallist Caleb Mwangangi, Charles Muneria and Isaiah Kiplangat fell in the semi-final.

“Let’s focus on qualifying for the semi-finals first before we can plan how to tackle the final. We must avoid the disappointment we suffered in Rio at all costs,” said Menjo, who is representing Kenya for the first time in a decade.

Menjo, 37, bears the responsibility of guiding Rutto and 2015 Africa Under-20 silver medallist Kiplagat as they seek to upstage Olympic and World 5,000m champion Mohammed Farah at the event.

Menjo will be representing Kenya for the first time since the 2008 Africa Championships in Addis Ababa where he finished fifth. The race was won by Ethiopia’s Kenenisa Bekele. Kenya has dominated men’s 5,000m since 1983 Helsinki Championships, winning seven out of the next 15 editions. But Kenya is yet to taste victory since Benjamin Limo’s win in event Helsinki in 2005.

Farah then became the second man to retain the title after Kenya’s Ismael Kirui in 1993 (Stuttgart) and 1995 (Gothenburg).

The Briton of Somali origin has dominated since then, making history as the first man to claim a hat-trick by winning in 2011 (Daegu), 2013 (Moscow) and 2015 (Beijing). Rutto, winner of Kenyan trials, is looking beyond the semi-finals and is confident of ending Farah’s three championship reign to hand Kenya her first victory in 12 years.

He insists Farah is yet to do something extraordinary even after retaining his World 10,000m title on the opening day in London.

“His progression is normal. He has the ability to resist pace and to finish well but he is beatable. Only good training and focus will help us tame Farah,” said Rutto.

He cautioned about the challenge posed by Ethiopians and Kenyans running for USA, Bahrain and Turkey.

Ethiopians Edris Muktar and Solomon Barega, who claimed the first two places in Lausanne leg of the Diamond League in world-leading times of 12min,55.23sec and 12:55.58, and Uganda’s Joshua Cheptegei who won silver in 10,000m, are some of the athletes to watch out for.

Olympic 5,000m silver medallist, Kenyan-born Paul Chelimo from USA and Kenyan-born Albert Rop from Bahrain will also be in action.