Paris Olympics: Simon Koech looking to carry last season's Diamond League form to Olympics

Simon Koech will be heading to the 2024 Paris Olympics with one goal in mind, to help wrestle the 3000m steeplechase title from Moroccan Soufiane El Bakkali.

Kenya had enjoyed a 36 year dominance in the race winning gold from 1984 Los Angeles Olympics to the Rio 2016 Olympics before Bakkali stunned the world to break the supremacy.

So dominant were Kenya that they achieved a clean sweep twice in the race, first in the 1992 Barcelona Olympics where Matthew Birir, Patrick Sang, and William Mutwol completed the podium.

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The second was back in 2004 in Athens when two-time Olympic gold medalist Ezekiel Kemboi, Brimin Kipruto, and Paul Kipsiele Koech sealed all podium places.

Early career-

Koech’s budding career flew under the radar following the spectacular performance from Amos Serem in the World Under20 Championships hosted in Nairobi back in 2021.

The 21-year-old’s third place finish was overshadowed by the gold clinched by Serem in the 3000m steeplechase at the championship which set the tone for being ‘second best’ to Serem.

His only other race in his breakthrough year was the Herzogenaurach 5km race where he finished 12th in a time of 13:56 with compatriot Jacob Krop taking top honours in the race.

Career milestone-

Koech burst into the scene when he announced himself to the athletics world after clinching the Prefontaine Classic, the Diamond League Meeting final in Eugene, Oregon back in 2023.

This marked his first major honour in his career, he however had also won the Monaco meet of the Diamond League back in July of the same season, underscoring the huge potential in his tank.

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He was able to carry forward his impressive end of season form from last campaign to this term as he bagged the African Games bronze medal.

Olympic qualification-

During the National Trials for the Olympics, Koech was one of the odds favourites to clinch a ticket to the Paris Olympics and failed to disappoint.

The steeplechaser stopped the clock at 8:20.99 to finish second behind Amos Serem while Abraham Kibiwott timed 8:23.41 to come third.

Preparation for Olympics-

With this being an Olympic year, Koech has opted to reserve his energy as he has enrolled in few faces with most being events in the build up to the Africa Games and Olympics.

He got his season underway with a second-place finish at the African Games trials before going on to finish third at the Games.

Doubling at the Africa Games proved to be unwise as he finished eighth in the 5000m, a race that saw the best placed Kenyan (Cornelius Kipruto) finish third.

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Competition at Olympics-

Apart from facing stern competition from his compatriots Amos Serem and Abraham Kibiwott, Koech will look to topple reigning champion Soufiane El Bakkali.

Another threat will be in the shape of world record holder Lamecha Girma from Ethiopia who will be out to claim his first Olympic gold in the discipline.

Medal prospects-

Having issued flashes of brilliance in the Diamond League, Koech has made it known that he is capable of the spectacular but with a deep field a bronze medal would be fitting.