Kipruto desires Kenya’s renaissance in steeplechase dominance
Conseslus Kipruto of Team Kenya, Mehdi Belhadj of Team France, Hillary Bor of Team United States and Lamecha Girma of Team Ethiopia compete in the Men’s 3000 Meter Steeplechase heats on day one of the World Athletics Championships Oregon22 at Hayward Field on July 15, 2022 in Eugene, Oregon.
What you need to know:
- In the final three laps, Frenchman Mehdi Belhadj, Ethiopian Getnet Wale and Eritrean Yemane Haileselassie offered injections of pace but another Kenyan Leonard Bett fell after the barrier with 700m to go.
- Upon the bell, Kipruto surged out from fourth and pushed to chase the two Ethiopians and Haileselassie up front and when he seemed to lead in the final corner, it was El Bakkali who hit the front into the stretch.
in Eugene, USA
For years, Kenya has mastered the art of triumphing over the 3,000 metres steeplechase race.
A lot points to the pedigree here. For instance, 13 of the 17 men’s world titles have gone to Kenyans, with the nation sweeping that top honour from the Osaka 2007 until Doha 2019 edition.
In the early hours of Tuesday however, Conseslus Kipruto surrendered his world title to Olympic champion Moroccan Soufiane El Bakkali in the water-jump race final during Day Four action of the Oregon World Athletics Championships at Hayward Field.
Kipruto controlled the race for long moments, but could only settle for a bronze medal in a time of eight minutes and 27.92 seconds.
“It is always good to be in the top three and I am happy for that,” he said after celebrating inside the stadium.
For a man who had a troublesome 2020 with legal battles, Kipruto missed to complete a three-peat, but he now counts five championship medals.
El Bakkali had made his move in the final corner to win his first world title in 8:25.13.
“The first six laps, I was okay but the last 150 metres, I got some challenges,” Kipruto reacted.
The perception that Kenya bosses this event looks to be dented now, but Kipruto opined otherwise.
“It is easy to bring it back but today, I worked alone,” he said. “We didn’t assist each other, I was trying to call the other guys to block (so) we use my tactics.”
Like at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, Ethiopian Lamecha Girma took the silver medal in a time of 8:26.01.
Bett, who was ninth at the Doha Worlds in Qatar three years ago, finished 15th, but his other compatriot Abraham Kibiwott came fifth in 8:28.95.
“We are going to go back and sit as steeplechasers and watch these races to know where the problem is and come back next year strong.
“We still have the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham and I am going there. I hope to defend my title there. I still have the morale, I will still beat those guys this year,” Kipruto added.
The truth is that sport hates dominance. But the steeplechasers are now under scrutiny from Kenya considering they currently hold no major championship title as even Beatrice Chepkoech's global crown is on the line in the early hours of Thursday.
At the Tokyo 2020 Olympics in Japan last August, El Bakkali and Ugandan Peruth Chemutai won the titles over the seven-and-a-half-lap race.
The final at Hayward was largely a cat and mouse affair with the lead changing several times even if Kipruto was in charge.
He led immediately after the gun, but Spaniard Sebastian Martos went ahead, taking the field through the 900m in 2:41.04.
At 1,000m, it was Girma who took control briefly before Kipruto returned to boss the proceedings as American Hillary Bor followed keenly.
In the final three laps, Frenchman Mehdi Belhadj, Ethiopian Getnet Wale and Eritrean Yemane Haileselassie offered injections of pace but another Kenyan Leonard Bett fell after the barrier with 700m to go.
Upon the bell, Kipruto surged out from fourth and pushed to chase the two Ethiopians and Haileselassie up front and when he seemed to lead in the final corner, it was El Bakkali who hit the front into the stretch.
