It took the wit of former Olympic 3,000 metres steeplechase champion Ezekiel Kemboi to break the ice between Kenyan and Ethiopian athletes on Saturday as Ethiopia’s multiple world and Olympics champion Tirunesh Dibaba finally ventured into the Kenyan camp.The surprise performance of the day was Kenya’s Joyce Zakari who qualified for the semi-final of the 400 metres.
Zakari will run in the semi-finals tonight after qualifying among the fastest losers in 52.88 seconds in Heat Two.
However, there was a blot in the opening performances, though, when David Kimutai failed to impress in the 20-kilometre walk, fading off to a 32nd place finish in the race won by, as largely expected, Olympic champion Valeriy Borchin in one hour, 18 minutes and 41 seconds, his personal best time.
China’s Hao Wang, fourth at last year’s Beijing Olympics, took the silver in 1:19.06 while the bronze fell to Mexico’s Eder Sanchez in his season’s best 1:19.22.
Kimutai, who will turn 40 next Wednesday, was eight minutes behind the winner in 1:26.35, way off his personal best of 1:20.40. He was one of only two African competitors in the gruelling race under hot conditions on the streets of the German capital with temperatures at 25 degrees and a humidity of 39 percent at the 1.00 pm start.
The other African, Tunisia’s Hassanine Sebei, finished 19th in 1:22.52. Incidentally, Kimutai was 19th at last year’s Beijing Olympics.
German national record
The three Kenya steeplechasers - world junior record holder Ruth Bosibori, Gladys Kipkemoi and Milka Chemos – all made it through to the final to be run tomorrow, albeit in contrasting fashion.
Chemos was the first off in the opening heat, staying ahead of the pack in a group that included the favourite for the gold medal, Russia’s Gulnara Galkina.
The Russian showed just why it will take a great effort to prevent her from winning the gold when she broke off approaching the bell, opening up a 50-metre gap as she crossed the finish line with German Antje Moldner and Ethiopia’s Sofia Assefa in tow.
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