TOKYO 2020: Kigen,Kibiwott carry Kenya's hopes of gold in 3000m/sc

Africa Games 3000m steeplechase champion Benjamin Kigen and Commonwealth Games silver medalist Abraham Kibiwott are through to the Olympics final of the event that has been the country's 'birthright' since 1984.

The first Kenyan to step out on the track in heat one, Kigen, ran on the shoulder of World silver medalist, Ethiopian Lamecha Girma from the second lap and looked comfortable the entire race, despite being a fast paced heat, to place third for an automatic qualification spot at 8:10.80. Girma won in 8:09.83

Kigen was beaten for second place by home runner Muira Ryuji who stepped on the gas in the final lap to cross the line in second place at 8:09.92 for a national record, while the Kenyan seemed to slow down as the leading pack had gained a lead and he was assured of an automatic qualification. 

Kibiwott on his part had an easy win, clearing the 28 barriers and seven water jumps with ease, for one of three automatic qualification slots in the second heat in a time of 8:12.25 ahead of Ethiopia's Getnet Wale (8:12.55) and Ahmed Abdelwahed (8:12.71) 

The third heat, where the third Kenyan representative Leonard Bett lined up, was much more congested from the bell and none of the competitors showed interest in picking the pace and it was clear it would be one of the slowest heats . 

As late as at the bell the race was anyone's for the taking with Bett locked in the middle of the pack but race favourite, Moroccan Soufiane El Bakkali, the world bronze medalist made his move with 300m to go to win the heat. Bett finished fifth with a time of 8:19.62 to miss out on automatic qualification.

With Olympic defending champion Conseslus Kipruto and silver medalist Evan Jager as well as bronze medalist Makhissi-Benabbad not at the Olympics, Ethiopia seemed set to take over the water and barrier race and end Kenya’s stranglehold on the event since 1984. 

Kibiwott, who trains with Kipruto, has more experience at the senior level. He is an African championships bronze medalist (2016), has won silver at the Commonwealth Games in 2018, and finished seventh at Worlds in 2019. He was second to Girma in Monaco this year in 8:07. He has, however, not won a race outside of Kenya in almost five years.

Bett had been touted as Kipruto's successor since winning the World Under-18 title at the age of 16 in 2017.  The next year, he was the silver medalist at the World Under- 20 champs as a 17-year-old, and in 2019 he won the African junior title as an 18-year-old before finishing 9th in his senior Worlds debut. He won the Kenyan trials but was beaten in his only Diamond League of the year, finishing second to American Hillary Bor in Gateshead in May.

Of the three, the 28-year-old Kigen may be the biggest threat for gold, as he has a monster kick and has shown he can beat the best in the world on multiple occasions. Back in 2018, he beat Jager and Kipruto in the Prefontaine Classic Diamond League meeting, and beat El Bakkali on home soil to win in Rabat. He won in Rome in 2019 and was in contention for the win in Monaco before his bell mishap.

Additional information by Letsrun