Uganda’s world 10,000m silver medallist Joshua Cheptegei completed a rare double in the 25-lap race at the Commonwealth Games inside Carrara Stadium, yesterday.
South Africa’s Caster Semenya also came back to haunt Kenyans in the 800m as she won her second Club Games gold after beating Margaret Nyairera who settled for silver.
Cheptegei had won 5,000m gold earlier in the week while Semenya had beaten Kenya’s Beatrice Chepkoech to the 1,500m gold on Tuesday.
Nyairera, who has been tipped as the next Pamela Jelimo, stuck with the leading pack alongside South Africa’s Olympic 800m champion Semenya and 2014 Commonwealth Games bronze medallist Winnie Nanyondo of Uganda.
They crossed the 400m in an impressive 57 seconds. Semenya employed an electric pace at the 600m mark to win in 1:56.68, a Games Record as Nyairera (1:58.07) and Natoya Goule (1:58.82) of Jamaica settled for silver and bronze respectively.
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Nyairera, a prisons warder, said: “I had planned to break away early, but Semenya got me flat-foot. She reacted unexpectedly. I am happy to have improved from bronze I won in Rio Olympics to silver medal here. I hope I will one day beat Semenya.
“I need to improve on my speed because this is where Semenya always beat me. I hope to achieve good results by the end of the season."
In the 10,000m Kenya’s Jonathan Ndiku, 2014 Commonwealth Games silver medallist Josphat Bett and Ronald Kwemoi dictated the proceedings in the initial stages of the race. They exchanged the lead even as Uganda’s Jacob Kiplimo kept up with the pace.
Ndiku stepped up the pace at the fourth lap in what saw eight athletes form the leading pack that had Canada’s Mohammed Ahmed and New Zealand’s Jake Robertson.
In the 23rd lap, Cheptegei and Ahmed produced a sudden burst of speed that reduced the field to shreds as Kwemoi kept up the chase.
Cheptegei, who is managed by Dutch man Jos Hermens of Global Sports Communications, approached the bell with a fine speed upstaging Ahmed, sprinting to victory in 27:19.62.
Ahmed (27:20.56) and Kwemoi (27:28.66) settled for silver and bronze respectively.
Kwemoi, who made debut in the seniors this season, said: “The race was quite challenging given the strong team. I had a stomach upset after 22 laps. So I had to persevere."
Cheptegei said he opted to double after Ugandan federation prevailed him.
“The fight on the tracks is not a Kenya and Uganda battle. But it’s a healthy competition. Kwemoi here is my great friend. I will compete at the IAAF Diamond League in Eugene (Prefontainne Classic),” he said.
Cheptegei became the second athlete in history to complete the Commonwealth Games 5,000m and 10,000m double, emulating his country man Moses Kipsiro who achieved the feat at the 2010 Commonwealth Games in New Delhi, India.
Ahmed said: “I studied Cheptegei’s race when he won 10,000m. I came up with a plan and opted to execute it. I tried to control but I did not get chance until I opted to tackle him in the final lap. He is a strong athlete.”
