WU20: Kenyan duo look to break men’s 3000m duck

Having watched their women’s counterparts bag Kenya’s first gold at the ongoing World Athletics Championships in Cali Colombia, the duo of Felix Kiptarus and Edwin Kimosong look to make a double for Kenya in 3000m when they take to the track on Saturday morning from 1:04am (EAT).

Betty Chelagat was able to defend Teresia Gacheri’s gold from Nairobi last year as Nancy Cherop settled for bronze. The Kenyan men, on their part, are chasing a maiden medal in the distance. The men’s 3000m was introduced last year.

In the heats, Kiptarus stopped the clock at 7:58.12 in a much slower heat one while Kimosong clocked 7:55.60 to finish first in the second heat, a much faster one that produced all the non-automatic qualifiers.

The duo faces stiff competition from Ethiopians who are out to defend the title won by Tadese Worku last year, leading a 1-2 with Eritrean Habtom Samuel, who is also in the race this year, taking bronze.

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Diriba Girma looks to hold a strong chance of retaining this title. The 19-year-old is the quickest in the field this year via the 7:38.79 he ran indoors, and he will be joined by Melkeneh Azize, who ran 7:42.95 indoors.

Uganda also has a strong contender for gold in Dan Kibet, who has run 7:45.73 for 3000m and 13:19.38 for 5000m this year. There is a pair of strong entrants from Europe in Ireland’s Nick Griggs and Denmark’s Joel Ibler Lilleso.

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Griggs was European U20 champion over 3000m last year and clocked a European U20 indoor mile record of 3:56.40 in March before smashing the Irish U20 record with 7:53.40.

Lilleso was European U20 champion at 5000m last year and clocked 7:48.34 for 3000m indoors. He lowered his 5000m best to 13:29.58 last month.