Rudisha humbled at the Kenyan trials as Birech and Kipruto beat Kemboi in the steeplechase

Kenya’s athletics trials will never fail to impress with spectacular surprises. It did not disappoint as Olympic champion and world 800m champion David Rudisha earned his first defeat at home at the Moi International Sports Complex, Kasarani, yesterday.

Rudisha, the IAAF 2010 World Athlete of the Year, could not take Ferguson Rotich’s fine kick in the last 80m and came second as Rotich won the race in 1:43.60 before a huge crowd, which included President Uhuru Kenyatta.

As usual, Rudisha shot into the lead and toyed around with the pack until the final 100m when Rotich, fourth at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow last year, unleashed a devastating kick to upstage the 2011 world champion.

Rudisha finished second in 1:43.89 and will now return to Birds Nest Stadium where he won gold medal at the IAAF World Junior Championships in 2006.

“I am shocked by the defeat but I am happy to have made the team. I am still struggling with my shape since I picked the injury. I will be working on the final 100m kick and this has forced me to resort to 50m sprints to fine tune the kick,” Rudisha said. “I have not done enough speed work though I am 90 cent fit, with no injury at the moment. I have the three weeks to fix it.”

He will take on defending champion Aman Mohammed of Ethiopia and Botswana’s Nijel Amos in Beijing.

Rotich, who trains in Kericho, said: “My tactics worked out well. I borrowed the winning strategy from Nijel Amos while watching him beat Rudisha. I simply closed the gap and then capitalized on the final 80m stretch.”

The national trials also evoked exciting tales in the men’s 3,000m steeplechase with Commonwealth Games champion Jairus Kipchoge Birech upstaging two-time Olympic and three-time world champion Ezekiel Kemboi, world silver medalist Conseslus Kipruto and former Olympic champion Brimin Kipruto.

Kipchoge won in 8:19.55 ahead of Conseslus Kipruto (8:21.73), Brimin Kipruto (8:22.95) and Kemboi (8:24.42). Olympic bronze medalist Abel Mutai (8:25.56 returned fifth.

Julius Yego, the Commonwealth Games, carried the trials in 83.10m ahead of Alex Kiprotich (71.50m) and Nelson Yegon (70.34m).

Yego, who basks in 91.39m world lead mark and Africa record said:

“The competition at the world championships will be tough. I happy to have competed against all the six top men and I am optimistic that I will do well.”

Yego makes history in every championship he enters and Beijing is no different. “I want to win gold at the world championships, God willing. I don’t have a medal at the world championships,” he said.

As expected world 800m champion Eunice Sum (1:59.46) and 2007 world champion Janeth Jepkosgei (2:00.42) easily swept 1-2 in 800m.

Sum, who is a cousin of 2007 world champion Alfred Kirwa, said: “I want to defend my title in Beijing. It’s my prayer to make it to the final though I am under pressure to perform especially as a Diamond League leader. I will stick to 800m until Rio Olympics,” she said.

Jepkosgei said she skipped Diamond League races to concentrate on the trials.

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