Kenya’s Beatrice Chepkoech settled for silver. Photo/COURTESY
NAIROBI, Kenya, Apr 10 – Kenya’s hunt for first Gold medal at Commonwealth Games continues after Beatrice Chepkoech settled for silver behind South African Caster Semenya in women’s 1500m final held on Tuesday in Gold Coast.
Chepkoech, who led the race up to the last 100m, won silver after clocking a Personal Best of 4:03.09 behind Semenya who took gold in 4:00.71, breaking the Games record to win her maiden global title in the 1500m.
Melissa Courtney from Wales completed the podium after scooping bronze in a personal best of 4:03.44 while the other Kenyan in the race Mary Wangari faded to ninth in a season’s best of 4:05.88.
Beatrice Chepkoech led the better part of the race until Caster Semenya took over 100m to the finish line. Photo/COURTESY
The tense of the race was intense after a technical hitch forced a delay for over 10 minutes keeping the athletes waiting at the starting line-up.
However, when the start gun finally worked, Chepkoech shoot upfront taking control of the pack as favourite Semenya ran comfortably in the middle of the field, on the space of the outside.
Chepkoech was happy to lead as Semenya made no move yet as the race headed into the home straight, ready to take the bell.
South Africa’s Caster Semenya won her first Commonwealth medal with victory in the women’s 1,500m.
However, the South African stretched her legs up to third behind Linden Hall of Australia who got the cheering from home crowd and leader Chepkoech.
The Kenyan could not hold on the pressure from the South African who seemed to jog, hitting the front in the final to open up the gap and run away with the title.
