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The Nairobian

Chebwogen strikes gold in Barcelona

Sports

By By Oscar Pilipili | Jul 12, 2012

Mercy Chebwogen

Mercy Chebwogen displayed to the world that there was plenty in Kenya’s talent production line after she won the country its first gold at the IAAF World Junior Championships in Barcelona, Spain.

Kenya claimed three medals including gold, silver and bronze on the opening day of the juniors’ athletics show.

Chebwogen, who at 16 was the youngest competitor in 3,000m race, produced a decisive sprint over the final 200m to win the race in personal best time of 9:08.88.

She took the lead with 240m remaining after staying content behind mid-race leader Emelia Gorecka of Great Britain.

Gorecka, the European Junior Cross Country champion, took the bell, but couldn’t hold off the charging Chebwogen and Ethiopia’s Hiwot Gebrekidan, who finished second in 9:09.27.

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Chebwogen’s victory saw Kenya extend streak in this discipline to five at IAAF World Junior Championships.

The IAAF said Gorecka’s bronze medal was the first for Britain in the women’s 3,000m since 1986. Her time was 9:09.43.

Kenya’s campaign in 10,000m failed to provide gold after Geoffery Kirui (28:23.98) and Philemon Cheboi (28:30.47) bagged silver and bronze in the event won by Ethiopian Yigrem Demelash.

Demelash won the race in 28:16.07 after letting Binlu Wang, Kirui and Cheboi do the majority of the leading in the race before he took over with 1,000m remaining.

Bronze medalist Kirui’s time and place was surprising, considering the 19-year-old ran 27:08.44 at the Kenyan Olympic 10,000m Trials in Eugene, Oregon last month.

Leading at each kilometer mark from 3,000m to 6,000m, including the 5,000m halfway point in 14:12.83, Kirui told reporters he simply could not match Demelash on this day.

“I am feeling good but I could not get the gold medal. This country is so beautiful and weather is so beautiful. I’m thankful to everyone for their pleasure,” Kirui told the IAAF.

The men’s 10,000m as usual was an Ethiopia versus Kenya engagement and it seemed that either Cheboi and Kirui were poised to claim a third successive win for the latter with their early control of the race.

But Demelash, who survived some erratic changes of pace mainly from Kirui who led from the third to sixth kilometre and passed the halfway point in 14:12.83, took total control in the final three laps.

Meanwhile, another showdown is looming between Kenya and Ethiopia in the women’s 3,000m steeplechase final scheduled for today after Daisy Jepkemei of Kenya and Tejinesh Gebisa of Ethiopia won their respective heats to advance.

Jepkemei clocked 9:56.33 while Gebisa crossed the finish line in a slower time of 10:01.48 to qualify for the final.

Kenya was expected to bag medals in the 5,000m race where the final was held later yesterday.

Representing Kenya in the event were Agnes Tirop who has season’s best time of 15:49.60 and Caroline Kipkurui who boasts of personal best of 15:24.66.

Ethiopians Buze Diriba with personal best of 15:11.53 and Ruti Aga (16:05.94) were Kenya’s main threat over the five kilometer event.