Men's 3000m Steeplechase Belongs to Kenya: a Brave Attempt by France, to Take Silver

Kenya's Brimin Kiprop Kipruto ran a fantastically strategic race, holding off in seventh or sixth place, before storming around on the outside with pure grit and determination, to seize the gold,  and leaving his compatriot Richard Kipkemboi Mateelong trailing in bronze,after a credible effort by the Frenchman Mahiedine Mekhissi-B to try to break the Kenyan domination.  This race has to be classed as one of the Beijing Olympics greats.  Sheer class! 

 

[q url=http://7thspace.com/headlines/290429/kenya_continues_to_dominate_the_mens_3000m_steeplechase_event.html]

Kenya continues to dominate the Men's 3000m Steeplechase event as they yet again secure the Olympic title, their seventh consecutive gold medal in this event. The Men's 3000m Steeplechase final took place tonight, August 18, at the National Stadium.

Kenya's Brimin Kiprop Kipruto finished first with a time of 8:10.34. Kipruto finished second to Kenya's Ezekiel Kemboi at Athens 2004, but beat him to win gold at the world championships in Osaka, 2007. He also collected bronze at the 2005 world championships and won the Golden League meeting in Rome this year, one place ahead of Kemboi. Tonight, Kipruto ran his season's best while Kemboi missed the medals and placed seventh.

Mahiedine Mekhissi-B. of France finished with a personal best of 8:10.49s. This athlete has yet to win many major medals. He won the 2008 Super Grand Prix in Monaco but only made it into the heats in the 2007 in Osaka. Tonight he sliced more than 6 seconds off of his best time so far to reach a new personal best.

Richard Kipkemboi Mateelong, 2008 African champion from Kenya, was third in Osaka and set his 2008 season's best of 8:07.64 when he won the Super Grand Prix event in Qatar. Tonight, he ran 8:11.01, not quite his season's best but good enough to secure the Olympic bronze medal.
[/q]