New hope for elusive gold

Daily Nation writes

Vivian Cheruiyot and Haron Keitany on Saturday won a silver and a bronze medal as Ethiopians outsprinted their Kenyan rivals to bag two gold at the World Indoor Championships in Doha.

However, Kenya has hopes of winning gold today when Augustine Choge and Sammy Mutahi battle it out against Ethiopians Tariku Bekele and Dejen Gebremeskel in the 3,000m race.

On Saturday, world outdoor 5,000m champion Cheruiyot could not deny Defer her fourth straight 3,000m title in the Qatari capital, finishing second in a close sprint finish.

Another Ethiopian, Sentayehu Ejigu, took bronze, with Kenya’s outdoor 5,000m silver medallist Sylvia Kibet settling for fourth place.

As expected, the 3,000m race at the Aspire Dome was reduced to an East African affair, with Ethiopia claiming the honours to avenge their loss in last year’s Berlin World Championship when Cheruiyot and Kibet stole the gold and silver from them.

Defar controlled most of the race from third position but, with 350 metres to go, made a move to the front. She steadily increased her pace and no one could match it as she finished in 8 minutes 51.17 seconds. Cheruiyot finished 0.68 seconds behind her, clocking 8:51.85.

Ejigu’s time of 8:52.08 was enough to secure her the bronze while Kibet was a distant fourth in 8:52.16, ahead of another Ethiopian export, Alemitu Bekele, giving Turkey the fifth-place slot in 8:53.78.

Rene Kalmer of South Africa was in the lead at the 1,000m mark, clocking 3:11.83, but she relaxed to see Portugal’s Jessica Augusto surge forward at the 2,000m point in 6:03.73 before the pretenders to the throne faded off the radar and the Ethiopians and Kenyans took centre stage.

Retained title

Mekonnen retained his 1,500m title in 3:41.86, ahead of favourite Abdalaati Iguider (3:41.96) of Morocco, who came in second. Keitany, who went into the finals via a fastest loser’s card, took the silver in 3:42.32.

Mekonnen Gebremedhin (3:42.42) of Ethiopia was fourth.

Champion Abubaker Kaki (Sudan) retained his 800m title to equal Kenyan Paul Ereng’s achievements in the championship after he breasted the tape in the semi-final race.

Kaki, 20, who became the youngest gold medallist at the World Indoors in Valencia two years ago when still a teenager, was in command from gun to tape to stop the clock in 1:46.45 and win the opening semi-final.

Kenyan Boaz Lalang comfortably qualified second in 1:46.73, with Poland’s Adam Kszczot taking the third and final qualifying spot in 1:46.90.