Ezekiel Kemboi rescinds decision to retire

Olympics champion Ezekiel Kemboi has rescinded his decision to retire from athletics, setting his eyes to 2017 World Championship in London.

Kemboi, had announced his retirement on Wednesday after finishing third in the  3000 metres steeplechase race, behind Evan Jager of USA and Kenya’s Conseslus Kipruto who won gold.

The tide turned for the two-time Olympic champion hours later after the Olympic committee disqualified him for allegedly stepping out of the track during the competition following a petition by France, leading to the withdrawal of his medal which was then given to Mahiedine Mekhissi-Benabbad of France.

“I had opted to retire right after the Olympics only if I had come home with this medal…now I feel that I have to bring back this medal not by protesting again but right on track. Kemboi is not retired I will be coming to London 2017 to reclaim my medal from France. No limits,” stated Kemboi on a Facebook post.

The Athens 2004 and London 2012 Olympics champion was sanctioned under the world governing body, IAAF rule 163b after France launched an appeal alleging he stepped outside the track.

In his retirement announcement, Kemboi had toasted a rewarding career spanning over 15 years where the former school disc jockey turned runner put together an unrivaled medal collection in a race that has come to be identified as ‘Kenya’s Race.’

“I would like to thank my fans across the world, especially those in Kenya and my family for supporting me all through. It is my conclusion that today (Wednesday) marks my last track event and the last athletics in my career,” he had concluded.

Besides the two Olympics and four world titles, Kemboi is also the winner of three Worlds silver medals having been led across the line twice by Kenyan-born Qatari world record holder, Saif Saeed Shaheen (formerly Stephen Cherono) at the 2003 and 2005 editions before Brimin Kipruto trumped him in Osaka 2007.

This is not the first time the flamboyant athlete whose popularity transcended the sport to have fallen foul to officials after his results at the 2006 African Championships in Bambous, Mauritius were cancelled for clearing outside the hurdle.

Kemboi is expected back home with the second batch of the returning Team Kenya on Thursday and although he did not break further barriers in his chosen race, no one can doubt he is arguably the greatest steeplechaser of all time.

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