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James Magut’s hard-earned 1500m victory at Hampden Park Stadium last night came as no surprise for him –he wanted to improve his pecking order in the Commonwealth Games.
The victory anchored Kenya into ninth place in the medal standings with24 medals -nine gold, ten silver and five bronze medals.
Magut, who completed Form Four at Kosirai High School in Nandi County, won silver medal in New Delhi behind Silas Kiplagat and wanted to ascend to the middle of the podium.
The shy-looking Magut, who staged his brilliant run this season at the opening leg of the IAAF Diamond League in Doha finishing ninth in 3:30.61, stormed into the lead and employed an electric pace that shook off his challengers that include Ronald Kwemoi, ninth at the IAAF World Cross Country Junior Championships in in Bydgoszcz, Poland, last year.
With spectators on their feet as the race progressed at the rain-soaked track, Magut who won the IAAF World Junior Championships 1,500m silver in 2008, deployed the afterburners in the final lap as Kwemoi and Willis Nick of New Zealand responded to the surge.
But Magut, who is managed by Italian track and field agent Federicco Rosa, proved he was no push-over as he won in 3:39.31.
Kwemoi, who hails from Mt Elgon, settled for silver in 3:39.53 as Nick (3:39.60) bagged bronze. Elijah Mangangoi, who has a personal best of 3:30.61, took the wooden spoon in12th place in 3:45.47.
Magut said: “I was certain of victory and I used the first three laps to test the ground. The whole of this season I have been running from behind but I decided to front run.”
He will compete in the Diamond League in Stockholm and Birmingham Diamond League Series.
