NAIROBI, Kenya, Jul 29 – You will have to go all the way back to 1980 to the last time Kenya didn’t win the 3,000m men’s steeplechase title at the Olympic Games; and even then, Kenya had boycotted the game staged in Russia, formerly USSR.
Since then, every single steeplechase podium has had a Kenyan standing tall.
In Tokyo, despite the absence of defending champion Conseslus Kipruto, the Kenyan contingent led by Abraham Kibiwott, Leonard Bett and Benjamin Kigen have vowed to ensure the water and barriers race remains Kenya’s sacred throne.
Kibiwott who was second at the Kenyan trials believes that the Kenyan team is strong enough despite the absence of defending champion Conseslus.
Conseslus failed to finish the Trials in Nairobi having had a tumultuous season and now, the lads will have to do it without the heavyweight in the mix
“I believe we have a very strong team and each one of us is capable of doing well. We cannot let the steeplechase title go to any other country. We will do our best and ensure we fight for the pride of our country,” Kibiwott, the 2018 Commonwealth Games silver medalist stated.
Also joining him in the team is Leonard Bett, the 2017 World Under-18 Champion as well as Benjamin Kigen.
Bett has transitioned well from the Youth to Junior ranks and in his first ever Olympics wants to leave a mark.
“I am really excited to be at my first Olympics, but the work has to be done. We will have to work as a team. But first we must individually qualify to the finals and from there, we need to come up with a very good team tact to ensure we secure the title,” the 21 year old said.
To keep their streak alive, the Kenyan trio will have to get past a short list of proven stars who will arrive as the favourites.
Moroccan Soufiane El Bakkali, 25, battled to silver and bronze, respectively, at the last two World Championships, has a dozen sub-8:10 performances to his name and a 7:58.15 career best, the fastest among the Tokyo entrants.
He’s raced sparingly but well this season, winning at the Golden Gala in Florence in 8:08.54 and perhaps more notably, clocking 3:31.95 in the Doha Diamond League 1500m, clipping 1.5 seconds from his previous lifetime best.
Lamecha Girma, meanwhile, burst on to the world stage with a stunning performance at the 2019 World Championships, where the then 18-year-old fiercely battled Kipruto to the line, only to be beaten to gold by a scant 0.01.
After a somewhat low-key 2020, Girma has raced just once outdoors this year but made it count, winning in Monaco on 9 July in 8:07.75, the fastest in the world in 2021.
