Brimin Kipruto of Kenya wins 1500m heat in Grosseto (© Getty Images)
There has been a lot of speculation about Usain Bolt’s chances of winning a World Junior title in Grosseto and an Olympic medal in Athens as a junior athlete but unfortunately the Jamaican was forced to withdraw from the World Junior Championships because of a hamstring injury.
With Bolt stealing the limelight as the 17-year-old broke the 200m World Junior record earlier this year and still leads the senior World lists, the exceptional performances of Kenya’s Brimin Kipruto have been somewhat overlooked by the aficionados of junior athletics.
Born in Keiyo on 31 July 1985, Kipruto lives in the little village of Korkitomy with his parents and eight siblings who all work on the household farm.
Kipruto who came naturally to the sport enjoys telling the story of how he used to go to primary school and was advised to compete in the school championships.
“I started athletics in 1999,” he says a huge grin on his face. “After primary school, I got a little bit better and went to the Provincial Championships. Then I got a little bit better again and went to the national championships.”
In 2001, he was selected to represent his country at the World Youth Championships in Debrecen, Hungary where he came second behind compatriot David Kirwa in the 2000m Steeplechase.
“But I was very young then,” explains Kipruto as if he wanted to apologize for not having grabbed gold in what was his first competition abroad.
Since then, Kipruto hasn’t been seen on the tracks a lot as his father wanted him to concentrate on his education and was not in favour of his travelling the world.
Kipruto came back in the spotlight as early as June 2004 when he won the 3000m Steeplechase in the Hengelo meeting but despite setting a World leading time and new personal best of 8:05.52 (also a meeting record) his outstanding performance was overshadowed by Kenenisa Bekele’s breathtaking World record at 10,000m that same evening.
The tone was set; Brimin Kipruto would remain a name to remember!
All the more so given that Kipruto was strong enough to take one of the three most sought after 3000m Steeplechase Olympic berths at the Kenyan trials, arguably the Kenyans’ best discipline and therefore the most difficult event for athletes to qualify in.
Kipruto was the revelation of the Steeplechase final in Nairobi and at only 19 years of age he finished a fantastic second (8:17.1) behind World silver medallist Ezekiel Kemboi (8:16.5), and so was automatically selected for the Olympics.
“Qualifying for the Olympic Games was fantastic for me. I am very happy and proud I will represent Kenya in Athens and yes I do think it is possible to win an Olympic title.”
But before thinking about Athens, Kipruto’s programme includes the World Junior Championships in Grosseto where he obviously starts as the overwhelming favourite. Like every champion, Kipruto enjoys taking on new challenges and in an attempt to work on his speed he has opted to take part in his “second” event here in Grosseto, the 1500m.
In round one, Kipruto took control of the race, setting the pace, changing rhythm, adjusting his stride. In one word he was controlling the race.
“I didn’t really push too hard. I just wanted to make sure to qualify. I was controlling the race, it was easy.”
Kipruto did make things look easy as he won his heat in 3:42.08, the fastest time of the field but still a good five seconds slower than his personal best.
It looks like Kipruto will have it easy in today’s 1500 metres final but one can never be too confident and the race still needs to be run.
A charming young man, Kipruto is one of three Junior Kenyans represented by Jos Hermens. A grin on his face he reveals how he often dreams of World Junior and Olympic glory. He knows no-one has ever won both events in the same year and he knows he may have what it takes to become the first athlete to achieve this unprecedented double.
Kipruto is currently third on the World Senior lists at 3000m Steeplechase behind his compatriot Paul Kipsiele Koech and Qatar Saif Saaeed Shaheen.
If statistics is a reliable science, Brimin Kipruto may well be on the road to athletics history!
