Will Bahrain’s Jebet spoil party for Kenyans?

Ruth Jebet of Bahrain crosses the finish line in the women's 3000m steeplechase final at the Incheon Asiad Main Stadium during the 17th Asian Games September 27, 2014. REUTERS/Kim Kyung-Hoon

Hyvin Kiyeng went to the World Championships in Beijing, China last year when she was not expected to win a medal, but she came back home with gold.

Virginia Nyambura was the figure on form in Team Kenya then, having won almost all the Diamond League races before the global event in Beijing.

And in Rio, many expect the focus to be on the world champion, but once again the limelight might not be on the Kenyan but on Bahrain’s Ruth Jebet.

Kenya-born Jebet is among the many ‘Kenyans’ in the diaspora, who are expected to spoil the party for their motherland.

However, as the 3,000m steeplechase heats start today at the Olympic Stadium at 10:05am (4:05pm Kenyan time) it will remain to be seen if the battle will be between Kiyeng and Jebet or if others will also join the fight against this year’s top two.

The two have raced against each other several times this year, but the Eugene Diamond League meeting in May was the most outstanding battle between them.

Jebet then ran a world leading time of 8:59.97 which was also an Area Record, with Kiyeng also chasing her down to the line and setting another Area Record after clocking 9:00.01.

Beatrice Chepkoech, who is also in Team Kenya alongside Kiyeng finished fourth in the race after running a Personal Best time of 9:17.41. The other member in Kenya’s team in Lydia Rotich.

Steeplechase coach Boniface Tiren said he has prepared his team well and is confident that Kiyeng will beat Jebet.

“Kiyeng has shown tremendous form in training and I am sure that if she takes the same form into the final, then she will bag an Olympic gold medal to add to her world title.”