Chepteek blows away everyone to strike third gold

Chepteek blows away everyone to strike third gold

From the moment she decided the shadow boxing was enough, only disaster could stop Celliphine Chepteek Chepsol from glory in the women 3000m steeplechase final and her country’s third gold medal at the IAAF World Under 20 Championships in Bydgoszcz, Poland on Friday night.

Jumping over the hurdles and clearing the water jump with the poise and technique equal to any of the country’s great steeplechasers, Chepteek motored around the blue tartan of the Stadion Zawisza in a race against the clock with an obstructed view from the front.

When she was done, the timer stopped at 9:25.15 championship record and the teenager, still only 17, lapped the applause as she added the junior crown to her IAAF World Under 18 title she collected last year.

On the strength of this performance that saw her destroy the field by staying in the lead from the gun before her solo charge for the honours with five laps to go, the country may have unearthed a gem.

Tigist Getnet, the Ethiopian born Bahraini runner led the tired and beaten challengers home in 9:34.08 for silver, long after the Kenyan had set off on her lap of honour, the yawning nine second deficit accounting for the biggest margin of victory in the distance races witnessed thus far as Day 4 action wrapped in Poland.

And it will take a beating to top it as her freshly-coined top medal moved Kenya to third on the chats on three gold and a bronze behind USA (six, five and two) and Cuba (three, two, naught).

“My aim for next year is to go to the World Cross Country Championships,” Chespol told IAAF.

Ethiopia’s Argie Belachew (9:34.17) found the finish to deny Chepteek’s compatriot, Betty Chepkemoi the third medal with the other Kenyan finishing just outside in 9:38.27. Both ran to their personal bests.

A race that featured 15 starters all hoping to make their names in the penultimate step to the senior ranks reached its conclusion as a one-woman show exhibition.

Cheeptek, perhaps affronted at her country surrendering the title two years ago at Hayward Field in Eugene, Oregon to Ruth Jebet, a Kenyan turned Bahraini only three months to the 2014 championships, decided to make things right.

Indeed, from the moment the gun fired to set the field on their way, the Kenyan duo set off at full throttle with the Bahraini and Ethiopian in close attendance as the rest of the competition wilted.

They quartet jostled for the lead through the first 1000m led by Canadian Charlotte Prouse in 3:13.26 and wary of the threat posed by Getnet who ran the fastest heat on Wednesday, Chepteek injected a turn of speed by after jumping the second barrier on the homestretch after two and a half of the designated seven and a half laps.

Her plan was simple yet ruthlessly effective. Burn the finish out of the Bahraini and indeed, anyone else and Chepkemoi, who’s previous PB was set at the heats was satisfied with the battle for third after being taken out of the equation by the front-runner who was bolting for the hills.

She came through 2000m in 6:16.25, that was a second faster than the 6:17.15 she ran in Cali to land her first major title last year as she towed the field with no one in touch.

Getnet was the last to give up the ghost as the last 800m transformed into two laps of honour for the champion who crossed the bell at 8:10, a flying performance that served notice record books were about to be re-written.

Eight of the top ten ran to lifetime bests and also under the 10:00 barrier in homage to her splendid display with Prouse who came sixth setting an American Under 20 record of 9:44.22.

Ugandan Peruth Chemutai (9:49.29) and Polish runner, Aneta Konieczek (10:00.58) in seventh and tenth went home with national standards in that age age category.

Ninth placed Ethiopian Asimarech Naga (9:55.14) was the other among the top finishers to go out faster than ever before.

-Face plant-

Catastophe struck the country’s hope in the men 400m Geoffrey Kiprotich lost out in the race for bronze to Karabo Sibanda with the clocks returning 45.45 against 45.64 after he fell face-flat on the line in a desperate last ditch push for the podium having impressed in the rounds.

Memories of the manner Kumari Taki dived to the gold in Thursday’s men 1500m in the frenetic conclusion must have been fresh on Kiprotich’s mind but the execution ended up with his face planted on the blue tartan in what appeared to be a painful ouch.

Qatari Abdalelah Haroun stunned Wilbert London III of United States (45.27) with a blistering last 100m to win it in 44.81.

With USA seemingly running away with the overall title, Saturday’s penultimate day will see the Kenyans return to the medal hunt in the morning session when Emmaculate Chepkirui and Mercy Syokau Mwanzau line-up for the women 5000m final at 11:30am local time (+3GMT).

At 6:50pm in the evening, World Youth champion, Willy Tarbei and Kipyegon Bett who beat him at the Kenya Trials will vie for places in Sunday’s final in the men 800m.

That will pave way for Moses Koech and Wesley Ledama to take to the track for the men 5000m decider at 7:45pm in the race to find the successor for Ethiopia’s Yomif Kejelcha.

But having been subjected to intense dope testing and given what team management described as sub-standard rooms, its only fitting the red, green and black brigade is responding to setback in the best way possible.

Raking in the medals and ensuring the revered Ee Mungu Nguvu Yetu anthem rings out almost without fail from Day 1.

Material from IAAF used to compile this report

SELECTED RESULTS

Women 3000m S/Chase

  1. Celliphine Chepteek KEN 9:25.15 CR
  2. Tigist Getnet BRN 9:34.08
  3. Agrie Belachew ETH 9:37.17 PB
  4. Betty Chepkemoi KEN 9:38.27 PB
  5. Anna Emilie Møller DEN 9:43.84
  6. Charlotte Prouse CAN 9:44.62 AU20R
  7. Peruth Chemutai UGA 9:49.29 NU20R
  8. Asimarech Naga ETH 9:55.14 PB
  9. Aneta Konieczek POL 10:00.58 NU20R
  10. Lili Tóth HUN 10:04.17 NU20 R

Men 400m

  1. Abdalelah Haroun QAT 44.81 SB
  2. Wilbert London III USA 45.27 PB
  3. Karabo Sibanda BOT 45.45
  4. Geoffrey Kiprotich KEN 45.64
  5. Kahmari Montgomery USA 46.48
  6. Anthony Zambrano COL 46.50
  7. Kazuki Matsukiyo JPN 46.69 PB
  8. Naoki Kitadani JPN 47.15

Tags:

kenya Poland athletics Betty Chepkemoi IAAF World Under 18 Championships Bydgoszcz 2016 Celliphine Chepteek Chepsol Gilbert Kipkoech

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