Purity Cherotich bags bronze in women’s steeplechase at African Games

A gold medal proved to be elusive for team Kenya in the afternoon session in Day 3 of the athletics program at the African Games in Congo as Kenya bagged two medals in the tracks

Boniface Mweresa who missed the World athletics championships in China was one of the favorites to dominate the men’s 400M final.

Mweresa pushed the eventual winner Isaac Makwala from Botswana to the edge but his opponent proved too strong in the home stretch. Mweresa settled for silver setting a season best time of f 45.01 seconds.

Boniface Mweresa heaped praise on his coach: “ This is my first medal, I thank God, I thank my family and I thank my coach, he really helped me.”

The women’s 3000M steeplechase proved to be a battle between the Ethiopians and the Kenyans.

Purity Cherotich landed in Congo on the day of the race and barely had enough time to shake off the jet lag as she was in action 6 hours later.

The Ethiopian pair of Sofia Assefa and Hiwot Ayalew outwitted the Kenyans who had dominated the initial stages of the race.

Cherotich seemed to have some reserve energy to clinch a consolation bronze for Kenya against her expectation as Assefa and Ayalew took Gold and Silver.

Cherotich admits fatigue could have been her undoing saying: “I arrived at noon, I did not rest and I was so tired with the jet lag but am proud of myself, I had a problem with my airline ticket.”

Kenya was represented in the 4 by 100M relay finals for both the men and women. The Kenyan quartet of Eunice Kadogo, Milicent Ndoro, Frasha Wangari and Maureen Nyatichi missed out on a bronze by a second but still managed to set a national record time of 44.75 seconds.

The Men’s team finished outside the medal bracket.