Preview: 3,000m steeplechase champion keen to successfully retain title

Kenya's Celliphine Chepteek Chespol raises her arms in victory as she wins women's 3,000-meter steeplechase during the first day of events at the Prefontaine Classic at Hayward Field, Friday, May 26, 2017 in Eugene, Ore. Chespol, who is just 18, won the women's steeplechase Friday night in a meet record 8 minutes, 58.78 seconds. (Andy Nelson/The Register-Guard via AP)

Kenyans favoured to finish in podium places as boxer Ongare carries country’s flag in the ring.

Purity Cherotich Kirui, the defending 3,000m steeplechase champion, will take her gold medal smile to Carrara Stadium today.

Kirui will be the gold medal favourite in the water and barriers race even though she will battle against a strong field.

At the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, Kirui realised her dream to win a senior title after doing well in the junior ranks.

The runner, who trains at Sigowet Athletics Club in Kericho County, dictated the pace in Glassgow alongside the defending champion Milca Chemos and new catch Joan Kipkemoi even as homegirls and Australians kept in touch with the Kenyans.

Kirui, a police officer, deployed the after burners with a killer sprint in the final lap to win in 9:30.96 — and stayed true to her flight dream to Glassgow to win the first jewel in senior ranks.

Kirui, a former bronze medalist at the Africa Junior Championships, will now face her compatriot Celliphine Chepteek Chespol, the third fastest steeplechaser in history with a Personal Best time of 8:58.78 set at the Prefontaine Classic meet in USA last year.

She, however, says she can pull a surprise when called upon today. “I have trained well and in top form. I only pray to God to guide me,” said Kirui, who boasts a season best time of 9:20.07.

Kirui, who is an alumnus of athletics-rich Kiptere Secondary School in Kericho, said: “Let the finish line decide.”

Chespol, a prison warder, won 2000m steeplechase at IAAF World Under-18 in Cali, Colombia and the World Under-20 Championships in Bydgoszcz, Poland as well as bagging bronze at IAAF World Junior Cross Country in Kampala, Uganda, last year.

Fancy Cherono, who ran 9:50.10 in Nairobi last February, is another Kenyan in the line up.

They will be up against Jamaica’s Aisha Praught (9:19.29), Rosie Clarke (9:32.10) of England, home girls Generieve Lacaze (9:14.28), Scot’s Lennie Waite (9:35.91) and Victoria Mitchel (9:30.84) as well as England’s Iona Lake (9:39.03).

Meanwhile, Christine Ongare is Kenya’s sole medal hope in the boxing ring.

Ongare, who will be in the ring for the 51kg quarter-final tie, will fly the national flag after Uganda’s Juma Miiro beat Kenya’s Shaffi Hassan 3-2 on points. She will take on Sri Lanka’s Jayasinghe at 3:05am Kenyan time today.

Hassan said: “My left hand became numb and so I could not lift it after the first round. That’s how Miiro got the chance to hit me and pick points.

“I feel he is not so superior to me. He is beatable. I accept defeat and I believe there  is always a winner and loser in a competition. I will live to fight another day.”