Kenya plays second fiddle to Ethiopia

The fitness levels of Kenyan athletes came into sharp focus during the IAAF World Indoor Championships that ended on Sunday in Valencia, Spain.

Elijah Muturi on his way to victory during the Nyahururu 15km road race at the weekend. The race was sponsored by Post Bank. Samwel Mwangi and Gordon Mugi finished second and third. Photo/JOSEPH KANYI
Kenya, former giants in athletics, finished 18th with a paltry two medals, both of them silver.

Ethiopian runners dominated the African medal haul with three gold medals as Kenyans failed to offer any real challenge to their northern neighbours, who seem to be growing from strength to strength in middle and long distance races.

Other African countries with gold medals included South Africa and Nigeria, with Sudan also coming into the picture and grabbing the men’s 800 metres gold.

Ethiopia position

Kenya team captain Paul Kipsiele Koech and Daniel Kipchirchir Komen lost out to stronger Ethiopian rivals.

Ethiopia finished third overall behind United States of America and Russia.

Koech, the Olympic 3,000m steeplechase bronze medallist, was beaten to the finish line by Tereku Bekele of Ethiopia, a younger brother of long distance legend, Kenenisa Bekele.

Kenenisa skipped the Venice championships to prepare for the World Cross Country Championships that will be held in Edinburgh, Scotland on March 30.

Tariku won the race in 7:48.23 with Koech finishing a distant second in 7:49.05.

“I’m happy because I won a medal,” said Koech. “I expected to at least get something.”

Ethiopia’s Abraham Cherkos, 18, followed Koech across the line to take bronze (7:49.96) in his first indoor championships appearance, followed by World Athletics Finals 5,000m champion Edwin Soi (7:51.60).

On Saturday, Kenyans thought they had won their first gold medal, for an hour, before the medal was handed over to Ethiopia, who had appealed against their athlete being disqualified in the men’s 1,500m.

Deresse Mekkonen captured the surprise victory in the men’s 1,500m.

Improbable win

As the pack came off the final turn, Mekonnen held off Daniel Kipchirchir Komen to take what would be an improbable win for the 20-year-old who failed to go past the heats at the World Championships in Osaka last year.

Komen (3:38.54) was next across the line with Juan Carlos Higuero of Spain (3:38.82) third.

Soon after the entertaining contest was concluded, Mekkonen was disqualified for a lane violation, giving Komen gold, and a two-three finish for Spain with Arturo Casado gaining the bronze.

The switch was short-lived as an appeal lodged by the Ethiopian federation succeeded, reversing the initial disqualification and giving Mekkonen the victory.

Bahraini Rashid Ramzi, silver medallist in the 1500m in Osaka, was a distant fifth (3:40.26).

In the men’s 800m race, 18-year-old Abubaker Kaki Khamis of Sudan became the youngest World Indoor champion ever.

Dashed hopes

The young African champion clocked 1:44.81, just one tenth of a second off Joseph Mutua’s African Indoor record.

Olympic silver medallist Mbulaeni Mulaudzi was second at 1:44.91 ahead of Asian record holder Yusuf Saad Kamel of Bahrain (1:45.26).

In the women’s 3,000m, Kenya’s medal hopes were dashed with Sylvia Kibet finishing fourth behind Ethiopia’s Meseret Defar.