Athlete delivers in incredible fashion: Cherotich completes Algeria double
Athletics
By
Dennis Okeyo
| Jul 04, 2017
Cherotich completes Algeria double as Kenyans win nine medals in the African U-20 Championships.
A nine-man Kenyan athletics team was in imperious form as the 12th African Under-20 Championships ended in Tlemcen, Algeria, at the weekend.
Kenya won 10 medals from its traditional middle and long distance races with youngster Joyline Cherotich striking her second gold on the final day of the championships. She won 1,500m in a time of 4:30.57 as Kenya finished fourth overall.
The Ethiopian duo of Fantu Worku and Almaz Samuel stopped the clocked at 1:48.76 and 1:49.15 to finish second and third respectively.
The World Under-18 1,500m bronze medallist Cherotich also prevailed in the women's 3,000m.
Also on the final day of the championships, Solomon Lekuta from Kajiado County won gold in the men's 800m, beating Ethiopians Taddesse Lemi (silver) and Adisu Girma (bronze). Kenya's 10 medals included four gold, four silver and two bronze.
Following in the footsteps of his training partner, IAAF World Junior champion Kumari Taki, Lekuta is coached by Jacob Langat.
Nicholas Kipkorir was victorious in a photo-finish in the men's 10,000m ahead of Ethiopian Gizachew Hailu Negasa, while 2015 World Youth silver medallist Sandra Felis Chebet won two silver medals in the women's 3,000m and 5,000m.
Other medallists were Boaz Kiprugut (silver in 800m), Josephine Chelangat (800m), former Riruta Central Secondary School student Nicholas Kiplagat (bronze in 3,000m steeplechase) and Nicholas Kipkorir (bronze).