By Joseph Ngure
Kenyans illuminated Luanda with sparkling performance during a track meeting, a post-Sao Silvestre de Luanda 10km race in Angola on Wednesday.
Olympic marathon silver medalist Priscah Jeptoo, newly discovered 1,500m Victor Chumo and 5,000m specialist Edwin Kipyego took commanding victories in 3,000m, 1,500m and 5,000m after taming perennial rivals Ethiopians.
The Angolan capital Luanda has been the venue for one of the last road races of the year, the Sao Silvestre de Luanda, which is traditionally held on New Year’s Eve since 1954.
However, in recent years, a condition of being invited to the lucrative 10km race is that participating athletes must also compete in the Demosthenses de Almedia meeting held two days later.
Stiff Competition
Appropriately, the large field of international and local contenders permitted Atsedu Tesfaye, the winner of the Sao Silvestre road race, to claim a lap of honour in the 5,000m race on Wednesday.
The Ethiopian held a 10m advantage for the first lap before being swallowed up by the chasing pack.
Ethiopia’s 2012 World Junior 10, 000m champion Yigrem Demalash and Kenya’s Edwin Kipyego were in the lead with five laps to go and at the bell the pair was 50m clear of their nearest rivals.
Kipyego, who had not competed in the road race, had the better sprint speed and won from Demalash in a hand-timed 13:43.89, while Eliud Kiprono got the better of Tesfaye for third.
The Ethiopian duo of Hiwot Yemer and Almaz Eba made the running in the women’s 3,000m, exchanging the lead for the first 1,500m.
Eba, who was to slip back to fourth, attempted to take control over the final kilometre but was shadowed by Kenya’s 2012 Olympic marathon silver medalist Priscah Jeptoo and Yemer.
The pair then passed her before pulling away off the final bend to cross the line in 9:05.68 and 9:08.11 respectively.
Having stayed in the pack for the first 1000m of the women’s 1500m, Ethiopia’s 2012 World Junior Championships 5000m gold medalist Buze Diriba won by kicking from the front at the bell.
Fellow Ethiopian Sule Gedo passed her going into the final bend, only to surrender the lead down the home straight before Diriba won in 4:20.23.
The Demosthense de Almedia race is named after a famous Angolan coach of the 1950s and 1960s, who assisted many of athletes to progress onto the European circuit and set records that still stand today.
Portuguese marathon legend Rosa Mota attended both the road event and the track meeting as patron of the races.
Men
1,500m
1. Victor Chumo ((KEN)) 3:47.07
2. Mosinet Bayih (ETH) 3:47.48
3. Josephat Menjo (KEN) 3:47.78
5,000m
1. Edwin Kipyego (KEN) 13:43.89
2.Yigrem Demalash (ETH) 13:45.39
3. Eluid Kiprono Tarus (KEN) 13:53.64
Women
1,500m
1 Buze Diriba (ETH) 4:20.23.
2. Sule Gedo (ETH) 4:20.56.
3. Joan Chelimo Melly (KEN) 4:21.18
3,000m
1. Priscah Jeptoo (KEN) 9:05.68
2. Hiwot Yemer (ETH) 9:08.11
3. Pauline Kahenya (KEN) 9:09.31.
