Cali champ Kipyegon, Kirui through to steeplechase final

World Youth champion Vincent Kipyegon and compatriot Amos Kirui will run for the medals in the men 3000m steeplechase after qualifying for Sunday’s final where they will be seeking another sweep and the country’s 15th straight title in the water and barriers race at the 2016 IAAF World Under 20 Championships in Bydgoszcz, Poland.

Kipyegon and Kirui, the athletes cast for a fourth successive Kenyan 1-2 finish at these championships –and an 11th overall– comfortably advanced on day three of the biennial event by finishing first and second in their heats in that order.

Kipyegon, the Cali World Youth champion, cruised to an 8:37.20 win in the second heat, nearly two seconds clear of Ethiopian Kidanemariam Dessie (8:39.05). In heat one, Kirui reached the line in 8:44.32, just a step behind Ethiopian Getnet Wale, whose 8:43.92 was a season’s best.

Yemane Haileselassie of Eritrea, the year’s second fastest coming in to Bydgoszcz at 8:22.52, and Mohamed Ismail Ibrahim of Djibouti, who arrived in Poland with sub-8:24 credentials, also cruised into the final.

Since the 2000m steeplechase was extended to the standard 3000m distance at the second edition of these championships in 1988, Kenya has won all 14 titles.

Moffat Ngari also qualified for the semi-finals despite a fifth finish in the first heat of the 200m by running 21.47 that was enough to clinch a fastest loser title.

Kazakhstan International Vladislav Grigoryev dominated from start to finish clocking 21.02 with Chinese Taipei’s teenager Chun Han Yang running 21.11 for second.

Teammate Nicholas Kiprotich crashed out of the men 400m Hurdles by running 56.90 for seventh that was way below his 52.63 lifetime best he clocked at the event’s Trial in Nairobi last month.

DAY 3 MORNING SESSION SELECTED RESULTS

200m men

1. Vladislav Grigoryev KAZ      21.02
2. Chun Han Yang TPE     21.11
3. Micaiah HarrisUSA      21.19
4. Wataru Inzuka  JPN       21.41
5. Moffat Ngari    KEN       21.49

400m Hurdles men

1. Mohammed Jlassi                 TUN          51.49
2. Ned Azemia                             SEY         51.50
3. Tatsuhiro Yamamoto            JPN            51.51
4. Yijie Wang                               CHN        51.83
5. Aftab Alam                              IND          52.34
6. Mohammedreza Rahmani    IRI              53.71
7. Nicholus Kiprotich                 KEN           56.90