African Games: Chepkoech and Cheminingwa secure additional gold medals for Kenya in Ghana
Reading Time: 2min | Wed. 20.03.24. | 21:51
In the 800m men’s final, it was a 1-2 sweep for Kenya,
Beatrice Chepkoech and Aron Cheminingwa added to Kenya’s tally of gold at the African Games in Accra on Thursday night after winning the 3000m women’s steeplechase final and the men’s 800m, respectively.
Chepkoech, the women’s record holder in the 3000m steeplechase, clinched Kenya’s third gold medal at the African Games in Ghana, overcoming stiff competition from Uganda’s Peruth Chemutai to win the 3000m women's steeplechase race.
The 2015 African Games bronze medalist entered the race as a favorite alongside compatriots Purity Kirui, the 2014 Commonwealth Games gold medalist, and the less-favored Caren Kibet.
Chepkoech completed the race in 9:15.61, setting a new game record. Chemutai finished second in 9:16.07, while Ethiopia’s Lomi Muleta secured the bronze with a time of 9:26.63. Kirui crossed the line in sixth place with a time of 9:51.01, and Caren Chebet finished seventh with a time of 10:03.31.
In the 800m men’s final, it was a 1-2 sweep for Kenya, with Aron Cheminingwa winning and bagging gold and Alex Kipngetich walking home with silver. Aron’s gold was the fourth for Kenya in the championship
Cheminingwa crossed the finish line in 1:45.72, while Kipngetich came in second in 1:45.73. Bronze went to Botswana’s Nkape Tumo who finished the race in 1:46.04.
In the men's 400m hurdles heats, Wiseman Mukhobe qualified for the final after posting the fastest overall time in the heats. The 2022 Commonwealth Games 4x400m relay bronze medalist won heat 3 in 49.41 seconds. In the women's 100m hurdles final, Rukia Omulisia finished in 6th place with a time of 14.09 seconds.
In the Women's 4x100m Relay Final, the Kenyan quartet of Esther Mbagari, Eunice Kadogo, Rukia Omulisia, and Winny Bii did not finish the race.
Earlier in the day, Emily Wamusyi Ngii, secured Kenya’s first gold medal in the competition by winning the 20km women’s racewalking event with a time of 1:37:34. Mary Moraa added a second gold medal for Kenya in the women’s 400m race.
