WU20: Ethiopia reaffirm 3000m dominance over Kenya with peerless 1-2 performance

Kenya's medal hopes in the 3000m men at the World Athletics Under 20 Championships came to nought after the two representatives in the race Daniel Kinyanjui and Benard Yegon finish 7th and 9th. Ethiopians Tedese Worku and Ali Abdilmana picked gold and silver respectively as Eritrea's Habtom Samuel grabbed bronze.

Pre-race favourite Worku lived up to his reputation by guiding the field expertly to win in a championship record 7:42.09 while his compatriots clocked 7:44.55.

Woku assumed leadership in the second lap after a brief stint by Ugandan Dismas Yeko, only allowing a brief interchange of the front before engaging a higher gear all the way to the gold medal.

Yegon who was Kenya's best bet for a medal briefly kept pace with Worku who had been joined by compatriot Abdilaman but the Kenyan could not sustain the scorching pace and dramatically faltered to leave Kenya without a medal in the opening day.

With four laps to go the Ethiopians were well into the leadership with Yegon ten yards in their wake and Kinyanjui a further 20 yards behind.

Worku was the man to beat even before the race began as he came into the championship with a loaded CV. He is an established performer at the senior level, having already won the World U20 Cross-Country silver medal, last year, lowered his PB to 7:34.74, the U-20 leading time, in Szekesfehervar in July. 

The two Ethiopians pulled off the the leading pack and put a few metres between them and the rest of of field with four minutes into the race and it was clearly a 1-2 race for the country.

Eritrean duo of Samuel and Merhawi Mebrahtu beat the Kenyan duo to lead their own battle for the bronze medal which the former won in 7:52.69 to set a personal best as did his countryman who finished fourth in 7:55.50.

"The race did not go as planned before the event. Even if we did not get to the medal bracket, all is not lost for we have subsequent championships," said a dejected Kinyanjui.

On his part, Yegon said the weather played a number on them.

"The weather worked against my plan but I am glad I finished the race. I hope that it will be different tommorow for I have hope that my colleagues will deliver medals for the country," said the youngster who had won the trails in almost similar conditions at the same stadium.