World U20: Kenya strike double gold, double silver on Day Two

The battle for superiority between East Africa’s athletics powerhouses, Kenya and Ethiopia, was reignited in full force as the men’s 5,000m and women’s 3,000m finals heats featured on Thursday during the second day of the World Athletics U20 Championships in Nairobi.

After Ethiopia’s Tadese Worku stole the show on day one by inspiring a 1-2 for his country in the men’s 3,000m, the host country came battle-ready this time around to ensure they won both gold medals at stake in the men’s 5,000m and women’s 3,000m finals.

Despite the lack of fans at the stadium, the host team along with the volunteers and local media at the Kasarani Stadium ensured that the Kenyan athletes had more than enough moral support to push them to gold, starting with the 5,000m which had an interesting formation of 10 athletes comprising two each from Kenya, Ethiopia, Uganda and Eritrea, plus a South Sudanese athlete and one from Burundi.

At the sound of the gun the athletes went out in pairs with Uganda’s Rodgers Kibet and Martin Magengo Kiprotich leading the first two laps. By the third lap, Worku led the charge for Ethiopia and overtook the Ugandans, while his teammate Addisu Yihune kept close.

By the fourth lap the Ethiopians and Kenyans had distinguished themselves from the rest of the field with a 10-metre gap between both sides.

An unrelenting Worku maintained the lead almost all the way through to the final lap, briefly losing the lead to Kenya’s Benson Kiplangat a couple of times, who had his compatriot Levy Kibet right behind him. Yihune faded with two laps to go, making it a three-man race when the bell went off.

Worku tried to go all out but at the last bend was overtaken by Kiplangat who stormed to sweet victory in a personal best of 13:20.37 as Worku followed in 13:20.65.

Kibet settled for bronze, also in a personal best of 13:26.01.

“I thank God and I feel good about this victory because I trained hard for this,” he said.

“I’m happy I defeated the Ethiopians because today I already made up my mind to beat them to the gold,” said Kiplangat after the race.

“Now I’ll go and train for next year’s World Cross Country Championships.”

Many were surprised to see Worku compete in the 5,000m a day after winning the 3,000m, but the middle-distance runner disclosed that he only made the decision to race the 5,000m in the morning after his teammate withdrew, and he wanted to stand in for him so as to win another medal for Ethiopia.

Women’s 3,000m

Kenya’s second victory of the day was secured by Teresiah Muthoni Gateri, who became the first woman from her country since 2012 to win gold in the 3,000m.

Ethiopia’s Melknat Wudu pushed hard but Gateri went past her in the final lap to win the race in 8:57.78, blowing kisses to her supporters as she crossed the finish line.

Fellow Kenyan Zenah Jemutai Yego followed in second, and she could hardly hide her delight, pumping her fists in the air as it dawned on her that she had won the silver medal. Wudu settled for bronze in a personal best of 9:00.12.

“Competing on home soil motivated me to go for gold because I don’t think I can host someone at my home and let them come and rule at my home so we were very ready,” Gateri said.

“We hosted them well, we welcomed them well and we were ready to face the challenge and it has happened, we thank God.”

Harsh conditions

Meanwhile, it was a historic night for Botswana as the country won its first ever 100m medal at the World U20 Championships, or any global championship for that matter.

Having clocked two national U20 records the previous day, Letsile Tebogo had already cemented his place as the man to beat and he did not falter, despite the harsh conditions caused by rainfall.

Although he left the blocks a little late, the 18-year-old had enough steam to power to his first global title with a time of 10.19. South Africa’s Benjamin Richardson won the silver in 10.28 as Cuba’s Shainer Rengifo Montoya was more than happy with his bronze medal which he claimed with 10.32.

Jamaica’s 17-year-old Tina Clayton was in a class of her own in the women’s 100m final, maintaining her unbeaten run all through the championships to take the gold medal with a personal best of 11.09, bettering her former time of 11.17 set while racing to gold at the NACAC U18 Championships in San Jose last month.

Namibia’s Beatrice Masilingi took the silver in 11.39 while Switzerland’s Melissa Gutschmidt pipped Nigeria’s Praise Ofoku to the bronze medal, clocking a time of 11.51. PHOTOS/COURTESY

World Athletics