News14 Sep 2008


Men's 3000m Steeplechase

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Paul Kipsiele Koech front-runs his way to a win in the 3000m steeplechase (© Getty Images)

old Paul Kipsiele Koech had a point to prove and he certainly did prove it with an exceptional gun to tape win on day two at the IAAF/VTB Bank World Athletics Final here in Stuttgart.

Koech who suffered a lone defeat at 3000m Steeplechase this year, crucially at the Kenyan Olympic Trials where he came fourth, was deprived of the opportunity of improving on his Athens bronze medal in Beijing.

Since then, he’s been on a mission to prove he deserved being in the Olympic Games final with successive wins at the Golden League meetings in Zurich and Brussels before today’s demonstration in front of 20,000 spectators.

The season’s World leader, Koech clocked 8:05.35 in chilly conditions dominating his compatriots Ezekiel Kemboi, second at 8:15.32 and Richard Mateelong, third in 8:16.05.

“Today I was well prepared,” Koech commented. “I wanted to win and run a fast time. It was a little bit hard today because I am not used to the wind and the cold. I am not too sad about not having taken part in the Olympics.”

In fact there was never an ounce of a doubt on what the outcome this afternoon would be as Koech took control of the pace right from the gun. He led the pack in 2:37.73 through the first kilometre before his second kilometre of 2:45.18 shook the leading pack down to three.

With three laps to go Koech and Kemboi were alone up front; another lap and Koech had finally made the decisive break as Kemboi struggled to follow the pace.

The remaining laps were a demonstration of Koech’s determination to show his great class, the silver medallist from Valencia’s 3000m increasing his lead up to a mighty 80 metres.

Kemboi held on for second although he visibly had run out of steam coming off the final barrier while behind him the race for third was in full flow. Mateelong had the best finishing kick and held off Bahrain’s Tareq Mubarak Taher by 22 hundredths of a second with Uganda’s Benjamin Kiplagat a further 31 hundredths adrift.

Sweden’s Mustafa Mohamed was the first European across the finish line in sixth with France’s Bob Tahri in seventh ahead of the remaining four Kenyans in this final.

Laura Arcoleo for the IAAF

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