KENYANS IN CLEAN SWEEP: Aprot anchors 1-2-3 finish in Senior Africa Championships

Alice Aprot on her way to win women's 10000m finals during the AK National Championship Championship at Kasarani Stadium on May 26, 2016.[PHOTO:DENNIS OKEYO/STANDARD]

Alice Aprot, the All Africa Games champion, orchestrated a podium sweep for Kenya on Saturday evening at the 20th Africa Senior Athletics Championships in Durban, South Africa.

Aprot, the younger sister of 2010 world cross country champion Joseph Ebuya, shattered Edith Masai’s 10-year-old championship record of 31:27.96 set in Mauritius after winning in 30:26.9, which is also a world leading time this season.

Former world cross country junior bronze medallist Jackline Chepngeno (31:27.7) and Joyline Jepkosgei (31:28.3) settled for silver and bronze medals as Kenya sat pretty with four medals –Mathew Sawe (high jump), Boniface Mucheru (400m hurdles) and Sheila Chepkirui (5,000m).

The win will surely inspire 24-year-old Aprot when she lines up in 10,000m against a quality line up that include world champion Vivian Cheruiyot and Olympic silver medallist Sally Kipyego at the national Olympics trials on Friday from 10.25am at the Kipchoge Keino Stadium in Eldoret.

Edith Masai, the three-time world cross country 4km champion, paid glowing tribute to Aprot.

“I am happy that a Kenyan broke the championships record. Aprot is a young girl, whom I know can still make great achievements in her career. I also congratulate Jackline Chepngéno and Joyline Jepkosgei for completing a podium sweep for us,” said Masai, a prison warden at Nairobi West Prisons.

Aprot’s good show spiced up Kenya’s stellar performance down south, where the team had maintained a brilliant run against Africa’s top guns.

There were huge expectations last evening when national 1,500m champion Vincent Letting, World Relays Championships sensation Timothy Cheruiyot and Eric Kiptanui lined in the 1,500m final. They were expected to anchor Kenya into top three-spot in the medal table.

Sheila Chepkirui set the ball rolling with a championships record of 15:05.5, while Margaret Jelimo (15:07.6) bagged silver within the championships record of 15:32.72 set by Ethiopia’s world 5,000m champion Almaz Ayana in Marrakech, Morocco, in 2014.

Kenya bagged four gold medals alongside Nigeria, but behind South Africa, who had amassed 10 gold medals.

By yesterday, Kenya had silver medals from Wilfred Kimitei, Jackline Chepngéno, Margaret Jelimo and Margaret Nyairera, while Haroun Koech and Joyline Jepkosgei bagged bronze medals.

The team jets back today evening after a good outing in Durban. The first batch will land at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport aboard Kenya Airways at 5:07pm, while the second group will arrive at 10:20pm.