Budapest23: Kenyan trio sail to 3000m Steeplechase final

The trio of Simon Koech, Abraham Kibiwott and Leonard Bett have qualified for the 2023 World Athletics Championships 3000m Steeplechase final after prevailing in the semifinals held at the National Athletics Centre in Budapest, Hungary.

Koech who doubles up as the 2020 World U20 silver medalist finished third in heat one of the semifinals.

Koech, who won the national trials last month clocked 8:20.29 behind Canada’s Jean-Simon Desgagnes (8:20.04) and Gegnet Wale of Ethiopia who won the heat in 8:19.99.

Kibiwott was the second Kenyan to confirm place in the final after finishing fourth in heat two that had World and Olympic champion Soufiane El Bakkali.

The Commonwealth champion stopped the clock after 8:24.31 while under pressure from Uganda’s Leonard Chemutai who also qualified for the final as the best five in each heat sailed through.

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Kenneth Rooks and Bakkali had a photo finish in heat two as the duo timed 8:23.26 although the towering Moroccan slowed in the final stretch.

Bett on the other hand, finished third in heat three to, advance to the final. The former junior champion clocked 8:16;74

Meanwhile, the 2018 Commonwealth Games silver medalist Samuel Gathimba finished ninth in the 20k walk race.

The race delayed for two hours thanks to the hostile weather conditions characterized by storms and lighting.

The Africa Games champion clocked a season best of one hour, eighteen minutes and thirty-four seconds but it wasn’t enough to guarantee him a medal.

Alvaro Martin of Spain won the race in a world leading time of 1:72:32 with Perseus Karlstom of Sweden settling for silver after timing a national record of 1:17:39.

Caio Bonfim of Brazil took home bronze after crossing the line in a national record of 1:17:47

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Despite missing out on the medal bracket, the Prisons Kenya officer will take solace in the fact that the time posted met the Olympics qualifying time which is set at 1:20:10

It was also sour news for the Kenyan 4x400m mixed relays team after failing to punch a ticket to the final.

The team, finished seventh to crash out of the championships as the first three of each heat and the and the two fastest times booked slots for the final.

The team constituted by Wycliffe Kinyamal,Zablon Ekwam, Millicent Ndoro and Mercy Okech clocked,3:15.47.