After an enduring 10,000m race, Kenya’s Rodgers Chumo Kwemoi weathered the storm to win his country’s first GOLD medal at the ongoing IAAF World under 20 Junior Championships in Bydgoszcz, Poland.
It was a breathtaking victory that saw Kwemoi win with a Championship Record (CR) of 27:25.23, after having to share leads with Eritrea’s Aron Kifle who finished 2nd in 27:26.20, and Uganda’s Jacob Kiplimo who placed 3rd running a time of 27:26.68.
The race was a tactical one and all top three finishers at one point shared the lead, but it was Kwemoi who executed his game-plan effectively, steering away from Kifle who was on his tail up to the last lap.
After consistently looking over his shoulders for Kifle, Kwemoi mustered the courage and bolted to victory, erasing the former CR by as much as six seconds.
Meanwhile in the women’s 10,000m Race walk, China’s Zhenxia Ma won the first GOLD of the Championships, finishing with an under-20 World Leading time of 45:18.45. The Chinese athlete led from the start and didn’t relinquish her lead to secure victory.
Italy’s Noemi Stella finished 2nd in the event with a Season’s Best of 45:23.85, and Ethiopia’s Yehualeye Beletew doing an African under-20 record of 45:33.69.
There were three heats in men’s 1500m heats, with Morocco’s Ayoub Sniba posting the fastest time of the three races to take heat 1 in 3:44.59. Kenya’s Anthony Kiptoo who was 2nd behind him also had the 2nd fastest time in 3:44.74, and Josh Kerr 3rd with a time of 3:44.86. In fact heat 1 had the fastest time of the three races.
In the women’s 800m, Nigeria’s Aminat Alabi was listed in heat 3 but Did Not Start (DNS) as she did not make the trip to Poland for the Championships. Ethiopia’s Tigist Ketema ran the fastest time of all heats to win heat 2 in 2:05.51. In the same heat, Kenya’s Josephine Chelangat finished 2nd in 2:05.69, and Sarah Billlings having the third fastest time in the heats finishing in 2:06.13, also in heat 2.
