Did Asbel scatter game plan in 1,500m final?

By Mutwiri Mutuota

Did Kenya contrive to lose the men 1,500m world title?

Had overwhelming favourite, Asbel Kiprop or teammate Augustine Choge soared on Wednesday night, then a proud mid and long distance athletics nation would have toasted a first gold medal over the distance in the history of the event.

The controversy sparked by South Africa’s Caster Semenya’s real gender masked a serious inquest of why Kenyan finalists, especially Olympic silver medallist, Kiprop engineered to let a third gold medal slip.

"Some runners in Kenya are jealous. We agree on something then they refuse to do it in the race. I pushed the pace for the first two laps expecting someone to help me, but that did not happen.

"That is when I decided to slow down to save myself for the finish and try my luck with everyone," a visibly incensed Choge, who ran 3:33.56 for fifth said.

He hit the front 400m from the gun and after leading the runners through 800m with lap splits of 59.54 and then 1:24.00, the Commonwealth 5,000m champion was a victim of one of a mighty box that closed in many runners 50m from the finish.

By then, Bahrain’s Yusuf Saad Kamel (born Gregory Konchellah), Ethiopia’s Deresse Mekonnen and defending champion, Bernard Lagat from USA, but with Kenyan origins, had broken away to clinch gold, silver and bronze in 3:35.93, 3:36.01 and 3:36.20.

"Some of these things happen in sport and although I’m disappointed to come out of the championship without anything, the most important thing is to pick up my head and continue seeking," Choge added.

For the second Worlds in succession, Olympic silver medallist, Kiprop went in as a favourite, but could only manage another fourth finish, this time in 3:36.47.

The normally media savvy lanky runner could only bow his head low and wish away reporters as he made the long walk from the track into the bowels of Olympiastadion and back to the warm-up area. Usually a confident athlete, Kiprop stunned the crowd by engaging in bizarre tactics that saw him last at the bell only to attempt employing a finish kick in the last 70m.

With a crowded dash for the medals and a number of 800m experts in the sprint for the medals led by the winner, his chance for glory was gone.

 

 

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