NAIROBI, Kenya, July 25- World and Olympic 1500m champion Asbel Kiprop has expressed confidence the Kenyans will break the Olympic record established 12 years ago by compatriot Noah Ngeny during the London Games.
Kiprop, along with countrymen Silas Kiplagat and Nixon Chepseba will form a formidable team at the games, as all of them have run the fastest times in the world this year.
“It’s hard to pick who between the three of us will win the gold medal. But I am sure that the Olympic record of 3min 29.77sec set by Noah Ngeny 12 years ago will be broken,” said Kiprop.
Ngeny set the mark when he outsprinted world record holder Hicham El Guerrouj of Morocco in one of the biggest upsets at the Sydney Games in 2000, breaking the previous record held by Britain’s Sebastian Coe, who is now the chairman of the London Olympics organising committee.
Kiprop tuned up for the Olympics by winning the 1500m in a world leading time of 3:28.88 seconds in Monaco last week, where Chepseba, who finished second, also returned a personal best 3:29.77 seconds.
“We are all ready to compete in the London Olympics. It is going to be a competitive race, but it is our hope that we will bring all the three medals to Kenya,” Kiprop said.
But Kiprop ruled out an attack on El Guerrouj’s world record of 3:26.00, saying it would be difficult without the assistance of pace-setters.
