Bakkali, Hassan keep Kenya waiting for Tokyo gold

@matthewsmutai in Tokyo, Japan

Kenya bagged its first set of medals at the 2020 Olympic Games on Monday night as Hellen Obiri and Benjamin Kigen delivered silver and bronze respectively under very humid conditions at the Olympic Stadium in Tokyo Japan.

The medals however offered little consolation for Kenya as the country’s supreme dominance over the men’s 3000m steeplechase was finally ended and quite emphatically so, as Morocco’s Soufiane El Bakkali took the title ahead of Ethiopia Lamecha Girma and Kigen.

Kenyan athletes had won the steeplechase gold since 1980 Games and were bidding to make it 10 in a row on Monday but it was El Bakkali who triumphed in 8:08.90 as he became the first time a Moroccan ever to win the event.

With Conseslus Kipruto, the 2016 Olympic champion, having failed to qualify for the Games, it appeared Kenya’s chances of a 10th straight victory had already been deemed. Kigen, however, maintained he was proud of his run.

“It’s my first time at the Olympics and for me this shows I have the ability to compete for bigger things. My target was to win a medal and today I’ve achieved that and taken key lessons with me which I will rectify.

“I think the mistake I did was to let them (Bakkali and Girma) get way ahead and when it was time for the sprint I couldn’t close in time,” Kigen said.

El Bakkali ran a patient, tactical race and with about four laps to go he was in the middle of the pack, with Girma and his compatriot Getnet Wale leading.

Early in the race, it looked like it would be Kenya versus Ethiopia battling it out for the medals, as Girma and Wale led, ahead of Kigen and his Kenyan compatriot Abraham Kibiwot.

The Ethiopians were still ahead as the bell rang with one lap remaining, but El Bakkali moved up to third and when Wale took a tumble the Moroccan surged ahead on the final bend and powered to the finish line.

Hassan Overpowers Obiri

With the 2016 gold medallist Vivian Cheruiyot not competing this year, it was certain a new champion would be crowned at the rain-soaked Olympic stadium with Obiri, the double world champion and an Olympic silver medallist, among the top contenders.

However, the 31-year-old had to be satisfied with another silver as she finished behind Netherlands’ Sifan Hassan who unleashed some fierce pace in the final 300m to claim dominant victory. Gudaf Tsegayof Ethiopia was third.

Hassan, who crossed the line in 14:36.79, remained tucked near the back of the leading pack for much of the race and was in sixth place with two laps to go, while the Kenyan and Ethiopian women led the pack for most of the race.

At the bell, Hassan moved into third, and only overtook Obiri in the final 200m with the Kenyan finishing in 14:38.36. Defeat left Obiri ruing her chance to add the only gold missing in her collection but vowed to test Hassan again in Saturday’s 10,000m final.

Obiri has said before she intends to move away from track to road running beginning next year.

“The race was very tough and no one was making a move. I’m so happy to get the silver although I wanted to achieve everything in track; I still have a chance in the 10,000m race. The pressure is no longer on me because I’m done with my event,” Obiri said.

Hassan will now turn her focus back on her semifinal heat of the 1,500 on Wednesday with a potential clash against Kenya’s Olympic champion Faith Kipyegon before she lines up for Saturday’s 10,000 final.