In Paris
Getnet Wale, world record holder Lamecha Girma and Samuel Firehu will be out to attempt a total Ethiopian domination of the men’s 3,000 metres steeplechase in tonight’s Olympic final, while the trio of Amos Serem, Simon Koech and Abraham Kibiwott are determined to reclaim Kenya’s stranglehold at the Stade de France.
Also Monday, at 7.35pm (8.35pm Kenyan time), Kenya’s lone ranger in the 400m hurdles, Wiseman Were, will be running in the semi-finals, hoping to make the final and follow in the footsteps of the late Nicholas Bett, World champion in 2015 and two-time Africa bronze medallist.
Also on the programme today is the opening action of the men’s 5,000m (12.10pm, Kenyan time) and 800m (12.55pm Kenyan time).
Two-time World Championships medallist Jacob Krop, Commonwealth Games 1,500m silver medallist Ronald Kwemoi and Iowa State University alumnus Edwin Kurgat will line up in the 5,000m while Koitatoi Kidali, third at the Kenyan trials and Commonwealth champion Wycliffe Kinyamal will join fast-rising, David Rudisha’s heir-apparent Emmanuel Wanyonyi in the 800m heats.
Kenya’s dominance of the steeplechase started way back at the 1968 Mexico Olympic Games when Amos Biwott opened the floodgates.
Kipchoge Keino (Munich, 1972), Julius Korir (Los Angeles, 1984), Julius Kariuki (Seoul, 1988), Matthew Birir (Barcelona, 1992), Joseph Keter (Atlanta, 1996), Reuben Kosgei (Sydney, 2000), Ezekiel Kemboi (Athens, 2004), Brimin Kipruto (Beijing, 2008), Ezekiel Kemboi (London, 2012) and Conseslus Kipruto (Rio de Janeiro, 2016) maintained the dominance before Morocco’s Soufiane El Bakkali broke the streak in Tokyo three years ago.
Kenya didn’t feature in the 1976 (Montreal) and 1980 (Moscow) Olympic Games owing to politically-instigated boycotts.
The 28-year-old El Bakkali of Fes Club Morocco is again looming large with the Ethiopians having come of age, especially world record holder Lamecha, silver medallist on his Olympic debut behind El Bakkali in Tokyo.
But the Kenyans, led by Tokyo Olympics bronze medallist Kibiwott, will have none of that in the race that starts at 9.43pm local time (10.43pm Kenyan time) and have vowed to fight to the last pint of blood to reclaim Kenya’s lost glory in the barriers and water jump event.
“We thank God that all three of us made it to the final. We just need to run a focused race and avoid the pushing and shoving,” Kibiwott said after his qualifying Heat Two in which he finished third in eight minutes, 12.02 seconds.
“Kenyans can see how the steeplechase has evolved with Morocco and Ethiopia posing a strong challenge, but we are strong too.
“I’m telling Kenyans not to give up as the steeplechase gold will be back to Kenya,” Kibiwott assured, noting that two-time Olympic champion Ezekiel Kemboi has been motivating them and handing them invaluable tips.
“It was great having him (Kemboi) in camp because he motivated us and was also at the airport to see us off – I know the pressure back home is great but we take it one day at a time.”
Serem, 21, one of the most promising youngsters in Kenya’s otherwise steady steeplechase production line, was fortunate to have been reinstated after disqualification from the opening heat won by El Bakkali.
