WAITING FOR GOLD: Kipruto, Kemboi, Brimin all eyeing top prize in 3,000m steeplechase

Kemboi of Kenia reacts as he crosses the finish line in the men's 3.000m steeplechase event during the 15th IAAF World Championships at the National Stadium in Beijing

The men’s 3,000m steeplechase is considered Kenya’s traditional race and Kenyans cannot even entertain the thought of an Olympics gold not coming home.

Even as well-oiled nations like Qatar and Bahrain have used their money to export talent from Kenya, they have never managed to take the gold medal from Kenya in the race.

Qatar’s Saif Saeed Shaheen (formely Stephen Cherono) might have broken Kenya’s dominance in the event at the World Championships with wins in 2003 and 2005, but the Olympics crown has remained Kenya’s medal to lose.

In the last 36 years at the Olympics, a Kenyan has crossed the line first and most of the times it is a 1-2 finish; the Rio Olympics might be no different.

When the race starts at 11:50am (5:50pm Kenyan time) today, fans at the Olympic Stadium will be waiting to see which of the three Kenyans in the line-up will be crowned Olympics champion.

World number one Conselsus Kipruto will go into the race as the favourite for gold, but defending Olympics champion Ezekiel Kemboi is very likely to have something to say about that.

Kemboi has always gone to championship events not in the best of forms, but when it comes to how to win a global title at such events, he is ‘Baba Yao’.

At the World Championships in Beijing last year, Kemboi was not expected to beat the world leader at the time, Jairus Birech, but he did exactly that as he ran the last lap at a suicidal pace that no one could keep up with.

Conselsus tried chasing him down the homestretch but all he could manage was a silver medal. It remains to be seen if he will push the master all the way today, and maybe even beat him to the gold medal.

 

COMMANDING RUN

However, it is not a battle between Conselsus and Kemboi alone as another Kipruto (Brimin) will also want to reclaim the Olympics title he won in Beijing in 2008.

Conselsus showed he was ready for glory with a commanding run in the heats on Monday morning, while Kemboi was his usual self just jogging across the line in third place, knowing he was already assured of a place in today’s final.

Brimin was also happy to let American Evan Jager cross the line first in heat 2, but that will not be the case today as the three Kenyans will be aiming for a 1-2-3 finish.