Kenyans keep medal hunt at World Championships on course

It’s now or never. And adrenaline levels are running high as the 19th World Athletics Championships enter day two inside the National Athletics Centre in Budapest, Hungary.

But men’s 10,000m charges must have a collective eye-roll in their bid to reclaim the title Kenya last won through Charles Kamathi in Edmonton, Canada, in 2001.

Earlier, head coach Julius Kirwa said the team was ready to change the tide. 

“We are good and set to represent the country. We have a younger and stronger team. Last year, our team did not manage because we had two championships; World Athletics Championships (in Eugene, USA) and the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham.

“The team did not have enough time for training and the fatigue. We have harmonised our training program. We don’t underrate any team at all,” said Kirwa.

Kenyan team in Nicholas Kimeli, Bernard Kibet and Daniel Simiu must be at their best to stop Uganda’s Olympic and world champion Joshua Cheptegei.

For many years, Kenyans always signal each other in the final stages of races with the word ‘Ngebe’, which means ‘let’s break away’ in Kalenjin. Unfortunately, there are quite a number of athletes across the globe who understand and speak this language.

“For sure, we have devised a tactic to counter our opponents. We know we have Kenya A, which is our national team and Kenya that comprises those who change citizenship to other nations. Remember, Cheptegei also understands and has trained with our athletes. There is a new signal on this," said Kirwa.

“We have put all our energy and skills into the men's 5,000m and 10,000m races. We have mapped out exact points where we lost and rectified it," said Kirwa.

“We know the right point to kick, when to react at some point and all. It’s a tactical race and needs team effort. So, let God help our team."

Kibet, who is based in Japan, said: “We have a strong team. We have planned the race well and it’s good none of us is under pressure. We have sharpened our finishing kicks.” 

Kenya has won three gold medals in Paul Kipkoech (1987), Moses Tanui (1991) and Kamathi in 2001 while Ethiopia lead with nine medals in Haile Gebreselassie in 1993, 1995, 1997 and 1999), Kenenisa Bekele in 2003, 2005, 2007 and 2009 as well as Ibrahim Jeilan in 2001.

In Edmonton, then head coach Mike Kosgei said, he studied how Haile beat Paul Tergat by the thickness of the vest at the 2000 Sydney Olympics.

“I decided that we should not allow Ethiopians to gauge us but we must outsmart them. I had John Korir and Paul Kosgei in the team," said Kosgei.

In fact, five gold medals from Rome in 1987 went to Africa, with three of them being won by Kenya. Paul Kipkoech set the pace by becoming first African world champion after dominating the men’s 10,000m, setting a then championship record of 27:38.63 in the process. Kenya finished fifth on the medals table that year, and the nation has consistently placed highly ever since.

Kenya’s bid to reclaim men’s 3,000m steeplechase title calls for a collective eye-roll in Budapest. The nation has won 13 gold medals at the World Championships and lost it last year in Oregon.

It remains to be seen if Abraham Kibiwott, Leonard Bett and Simon Koech will respond when called upon in the Hungarian capital.

Yesterday, the trio made it to the semi-finals with impressive shows.

Koech posted 8:20.29, Kibiwott (8:24.31) and Bett (8:16.74), and the battle to reclaim the title largely stand on their shoulders.

Two-time Olympic 1500m champion Faith Kipyegon proved her mettle as she sailed through the heats in 4:02.62.

Edna Jebitok (4:04.09) and Nelly Chepchirchir also sailed though Purity Chepkirui could not make it as she finished a distant seventh.

Kipyegon, the only Kenyan woman to have won 1,500m gold at the World Championships, wants to become the first two-time Olympic and three-time world champion.

The three Kenyans will be up against Dutchwoman Sifan Hassan, the reigning London Marathon winner.

As it stands, few would argue with Kipyegon’s claims to being the greatest female 1,500m runner of all time. But if the 28-year-old can win her third world title in Budapest– and make it a fifth global outdoor championships gold – then the debate will be fully over and perhaps will be crowned the 2023 World Athlete of the Year.

Based on recent form, breaking three world records –1500m, 5000m and the Mile within 49 days –it will take something special to stop her. 

Kipyegon, who will also compete in 5000m, has not lost 1500m since June 10 2021, where Sifan Hassan upstaged her at the Diamond League meeting in Florence, Italy.

Barring illness, injury or a mid-race fall, it is difficult to imagine anyone stopping Kipyegon from becoming the first woman to complete a hat-trick of world 1,500m titles – and, for that matter, from proceeding to become the first woman to accomplish the 1,500m and 5,000m double.

The clock has been the 2017 and 2022 champion’s only rival throughout the northern hemisphere summer and, even then, the old marks in the world record book have been no match for Kipyegon.

As if becoming the first woman to break the 3:50 barrier for 1500m, with 3:49.11 in Florence on June 2, wasn’t enough, Kipyegon slashed more than four seconds off Sifan Hassan’s mile record with a stunning 4:07.64 in Monaco on 21 July – matching New Zealander Jack Lovelock’s men’s world record time at Princeton in 1933. Then, of course, there was also the 14:05.20 world record at 5000m in Paris in between.

In the 1,500m in Florence, Kipyegon won by 7.09 from Laura Muir, the Briton who took Olympic silver in Tokyo and world bronze behind her and Ethiopia’s world indoor record-holder Gudaf Tsegay in Oregon last year. In the mile in Monaco, she finished 6.94 clear of Ireland’s European and Commonwealth silver medallist Ciara Mageean, who broke Sonia O’Sullivan’s 29-year-old national record with a time of 4:14.58.

It would seem that the rest will be running for silver and bronze at best in Budapest women’s 1,500m final.