Olympics champ Nancy Lagat wins Rabat race

By Feverpitch Reporter and IAAF

Sunday’s IAAF Mohammed VI Rabat meeting in Morocco was the latest stage to be illuminated by the supercharged Olympic 1,500m women champion, Nancy Jebet Lagat as Berlin 3,000m steeplechase gold medallist, Ezekiel Kemboi slumped to defeat in his speciality.

Lagat, yet to taste defeat this season recorded her fourth successive dominant victory at her distance this season with a 4:05.80 victory over home runners Mounia Tabessart (4:06.25) and Btissam Lakhouad (4:07.73) who shared the podium in second and third.

Olympics women 1,500m champion, Nancy Jebet Lagat wins her speciality at the Armed Forces National Championships a fortnight ago. The Beijing gold winner topped her race at Sunday’s IAAF meeting in Rabat, Morocco [PHOTO: BONIFACE OKENDO/STANDARD]

The Olympic champion who had disappointing Worlds last year added the Rabat crown to wins in Doha, Hengelo and Armed Forces championships and looks a firm bet to reclaim the African title she last won in 2004 when during the July 28 to August 1 continental event in Nairobi.

In Doha (May 14), Lagat ran the world leading 4:01.63. World 5,000m silver medallist, Sylvia Kibet was fifth (4:07.87). Olympic silver medallist, France’s Mahiedine Mekhissi-Benabbad, won ‘Kenya’s race’ in 8:08.82 after sprinting clear of his challengers to humble World Championships silver winner, Richard Mateelong (8:14.89) to second with Kemboi (8:17.59) coming home a distant third.

On Thursday, Mateelong won the steeplechase title at Kenya Police Championships as he prepares to defend his Africa crown.

The men’s 5,000m saw John Kemboi majestically lead a Kenyan procession that accounted for the first seven positions.

Kemboi, who won the junior men 8km race at last year’s Trials for Amman World Cross before finishing tenth at the global showdown clocked 13:01.64 to front Sammy Mutahi (13:02.54), Abraham Chebii (13:03.11), Daniel Kipchirchir Komen (13:04.02), Paul Kipsiele Koech (13:05.18), Isaiah ‘Chairman’ Kiplangat (13:07.70) and Mike Kipruto (13:15.10) across the line.

Richard Kiplagat (1:47.91) was third in the men’s 800m race won by World Indoor Champion, Abubaker Kaki Khamis (1:46.71).