Remembering Kenya's maiden World Championships steeplechase clean sweep in 1997
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Reading Time: 3min | Thu. 17.07.25. | 14:30
Among the many highlights in this golden era, the 1997 World Championships in Athens stand out
When it comes to global dominance in a single athletics discipline, few nations can match what Kenya has achieved in the men’s 3000m steeplechase.
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From 1968 to 2016, excluding years of Olympic boycotts, Kenya claimed every Olympic title in the event, with full podium sweeps in both 1992 and 2004.
That same dominance was mirrored at the World Athletics Championships. Kenyan athletes reigned supreme in the steeplechase from 1991 to 2019, with the only exceptions being 2003 and 2005, when Qatar’s Saif Saaeed Shaheen, himself Kenyan-born, clinched gold.
Among the many highlights in this golden era, the 1997 World Championships in Athens stand out as a historic moment, marking Kenya’s first-ever World Championship podium sweep in the steeplechase.
Athens 1997: a championship to remember
Athens, then a candidate city for the 2004 Olympics, was eager to impress. With crowds swelling from 45,000 to 70,000 spectators during the championships, the atmosphere was electric.
In the men’s 3000m steeplechase final, three world-class Kenyans lined up, all of whom had held the world record at some point that same year.
Leading the charge was Moses Kiptanui, the three-time world champion (1991, 1993, 1995) and the first man to run the steeplechase in under eight minutes.
He was joined by Wilson Boit Kipketer and Bernard Barmasai in a star-studded Kenyan trio. The race started aggressively, with the three Kenyans setting the tempo while Saudi Arabia’s Saad Shaddad Al-Asmari and Morocco’s Hicham Bouaouiche kept pace.
With a lap to go, Al-Asmari briefly took the lead, but the Kenyans quickly regrouped. Kipketer, running behind Kiptanui and Barmasai, used the final water jump to launch his attack.
With a powerful finish, he stormed past his teammates to win gold in 8:05.84. Kiptanui and Barmasai clocked the same time, 8:06.04, but Kiptanui was awarded silver and Barmasai the bronze, completing a historic 1-2-3 for Kenya.
Breaking records, making history
Just a week after his World Championship victory, Kipketer shattered the world record in Zurich, clocking 7:59.08. But the record did not last long.
Eleven days later in Cologne, Barmasai stole the spotlight with a sensational run of 7:55.72, reclaiming Kenyan supremacy on the world record list. Kiptanui followed closely in 7:56.16, also dipping under the previous world mark.
Reflecting on the achievement, Kiptanui famously said, “When so many Kenyans start together in a race in this stadium, the only possibility is to expect a world record.” He was right.
Legacy in motion
Athens would go on to win the bid for the 2004 Olympic Games later that year, and in poetic fashion, Kenya returned to sweep the podium once again. This time, it was Ezekiel Kemboi leading the charge, under the guidance of none other than Kiptanui himself.
The 1997 World Championships not only marked a defining chapter in Kenyan athletics history but also cemented the country's enduring legacy in the steeplechase, a tradition of excellence that continues to inspire generations.
Source: World Athletics
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