Heartbreak as 400m hurdler Mpoke bows out of World Championship

Kenyan 400m Silver medalist Moitalel Mpoke Naadokila with his medal during the IAAF World U18 Championships at Kasarani Stadium onSaturday 15/07/17.[Boniface Okendo,Standard]

Kenya's hopes of winning a medal in the men's 400 metres hurdles at the ongoing 2022 World Athletics Championships in Oregon, United States went up in smokes early Monday morning after Moitalel Mpoke failed to qualify for the finals.

The 21 year-old finished sixth in the second semi-final heat in 49.34 seconds, two seconds behind the eventual winner Brazilian Alison Dos Santos.

Dos Santos who is the 2020 Tokyo Olympics bronze medallist won the heat after clocking an impressive 47.85 seconds.

The Brazilian was joined by Trevor Bassit who clocked 48.27 to complete the automatic slot in the final.

Reigning Olympic champion Karsten Warholm from Norway won the third semi-final heat in 48.00.

 The first heat was won by local favorite Benjamin Rai of the United States.

He clocked 48.44 beating Jaheel Hyde from Jamaica to second place in 49.09 as they both reached the final.

Mpoke was eying to become the second Kenya to win the title after the late Nicholas Bett who won in Beijing in 2015.