Impressive Korir strikes Kenya’s first gold at the Tokyo Olympics

Remarkable Emmanuel Korir won Kenya’s first gold medal at the ongoing Tokyo Olympics after leading compatriot Ferguson Rotich to a 1-2 finish in the men’s 800m finals on Wednesday.

Korir clocked 1:45.06 to retain the crown that David Rudisha won five years ago in Rio, Brazil while Rotich clocked 1:45.23 to clinch silver and improve on his fifth place finish in 2016.

Patryk Dobek from Poland took bronze in 1:45.39

Kenya has now won gold medals in the men’s 800m in the last four consecutive editions of the Olympic Games, as Rudisha also won the 2012 edition in London, taking over from his senior Wilfred Bungei who won the 2008 Beijing edition.

Korir, who was disqualified for a false start in the 400m heats, showed energy and determination in the two-lap race overcoming a strong field to bag his first Olympic gold.

Just before Kori’s triumph, Uganda’s Peruth Chemutai becme the surprise winner in the women’s 3000m steeplechase in the final when she ripped apart an experienced field that included Kenyan duo of Beatrice Chepkoech and Hyvin Kiyeng.

Chemutai crossed the finish line in 9:01.45 to win Uganda’s first gold medal at the Olympics as Courtney Frerichs of USA took silver in 9:04.79 while Kenya’s Hyvin Kiyeng settled for bronze in 9:05.39.

World record holder Beatrice Chepkoech who had revealed that she was battling with a hamstring injury finished seventh in 9:16.33

Kenya is yet to win a gold medal in the women’s 3000m steeplechase since the event was introduced at the Olympics in 2008.

Earlier on at the Olympic Stadium in Tokyo, Olympic champion Faith Kipyegon and world champion Sifan Hassan of the Netherlands booked their tickets for the 1500m final set for Friday.

The duo will renew their rivalry when they clash in Olympic having won their respective semi-finals heats, with Hassan chasing his second gold having won the 5,000m one.

Kipyegon stormed to an easy victory in the first heat when she clocked 3:56.80 as teammate Winny Chebet missed out after a brutal fall took her out.

Hassan, who edged Kipyegon at Doha Championships 2019, took victory in the second heat after clocking 4:00.23 to continue her pursuit of an unprecedented treble as she will be racing in the 10,000m.

Kipyegon will draw confidence going to Friday’s final from the recent win against the Dutch at the Monaco Diamond League last month.

Kenya’s only javelin athlete Julius Yego missed out on the finals of the men’s throw after failing to hit the qualifying mark of 83.50 metres during the preliminaries Wednesday morning at the Olympic Stadium.

Yego who was hoping to upgrade the silver medal he won during the 2016 Games only managed a season best throw of 77.34m on his third attempt after missing target in the initial two attempts.

Yego, the 2015 world champion placed 24th in the overall rankings where India’s Neeraj Chopra reigned supreme with a throw of 86.65 metres.