Silver and bronze for Kenyans in Doha

Daily Nation writes

Boaz Lalang and Sammy Mutahi, added two medals for Kenya, a second silver and a bronze, as the curtains came down on the World Indoor Athletics Championships at the Aspire dome in Doha on Sunday.

Vivian Cheruiyot and Haron Keitany are the two other Kenyans who bagged medals in a lean eight member squad that assembled at the start of the championship on Friday, Cheruiyot a silver in the 3,000 metres and Keitany a bronze in the 1,500m.

Rivals Ethiopia, chalked up their third gold and second silver as teenager Kalkidan Gezahegne stormed to victory in the women’s 1,500m to collect her first major medal.

Kenya’s Irene Jelagat did the pace work before fading off the lead pack in the final lap to finish fifth in a personal best time of 4:09.57.

Meanwhile, Russia’s pole vault world record holder Yelena Isinbayeva suffered more championship disappointment when she failed to clear 4.75 metres at the championships.

Kenyan-born American Bernard Lagat won his second 3,000 metres title six years after the first with a stirring last lap.

Lagat, 35, surged past defending champion Tariku Bekele of Ethiopia with slightly more than a lap to go and handily won in seven minutes 37.97 seconds.

“My kids woke up at 7 a.m in the morning to watch their daddy,” Lagat said. “So I needed to show them something.”