Ngeny
and Kipketer's plans for golden doubles spoilt in Nairobi.
Peter Njenga for the IAAF
27 April 2002 - Nairobi – Kenya’s Olympic 1,500 metres champion Noah Ngeny and
Sammy Kipketer were foiled in their joint attempts at golden doubles during the
final day of the Africa Military Games here on Friday (26 April).
In front of 40,000 spectators, the biggest crowd for any local athletics competition since the final day of the 1987 All-Africa Games, Noah Ngeny won the 800m hand-timed at 1 minute 46.5 seconds. However, just 20 minutes later, Ngeny fizzled to fourth place at his specialty 1500m distance, which was won by compatriot Robert Rono in 3:40.6.
"The whole show was tactical," said Ngeny who flew out of Nairobi after the meeting to compete in France. "I decided to lead from start and make my friend Abdelkader Hachlaf think I was going for victory. This was impossible as after the 800m I was very tired. Our plan was for Rono or Sammy Mutai to take the lead with 200m to go and it worked."
Hachlaf from Morocco had to concede defeat to the Kenyan tactics though he finished in silver with 3:41.5.
Ngeny's winning time in the earlier 800m was 1:46.5, the fastest in Kenya so far this year and he was followed home by former junior World champion Joseph Mutua (1:47.0) and fast-improving Sudanese, Ismael Hammed (1:47.5).
“Hammed could mature into a medallist in Athens 2004," said his coach Paul Ereng (1988 Olympic Gold medalist) who is based at the IOC/IAAF High Performance Centre in Eldoret.
Prior to this race, Hammed who comes from the Sudanese capital Khartoum, had clocked 1:49.20 only four weeks ago in Nakuru Kenya. "He was second in 2001 East and Central Africa championships in 1:50.8 and fifth in the Africa juniors," said Ereng.
In the 10,000m, Sammy Kipketer the winner of the 5000m on Tuesday failed to match the deadly kick of former Kenyan national cross country champion John Korir in the home stretch.
"Kipketer is in very good shape but I wanted also to share the glory," said Korir, timed at 28:29.6, a good time at altitude but far off the time of 27:47.33 set by World 10,000m champion Charles Kamathi during last year’s national trials.
Paul Kosgei took the bronze in 28:83.0 but said he was using the race as his final preparations before next Sunday's World Half Marathon Championships in Brussels, Belgium. He is among a strong squad of five men and women that Kenya is sending to those championships hoping to reclaim the World title. Tegla Loroupe leads the women's team.
With a haul of 18 gold medals, Kenya finished first in the athletics competition, which pitted the East African nation against traditional rivals, Ethiopia, Algeria and Morocco.
Final Day results
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Men:
100 : 1. Thalonsang Molapisi (Botswana) 10.3; 2. Stanley Towett (Kenya) 10.4; 3.
Tiekim Dieudone (Cameroon) 10.5;
200m: 1. David Kirui (Kenya) 20.8; 2. Jacques Sambou (Senegal)
20.9; 3.Tiekim
Dieudone (Cameroon) 21.7
400m: 1. David Kirui (Kenya) 45.9; 2. Johnson Kubisa (Botswana) 46.1; 3.Julius
Chepkwony (Kenya) 46.2;
800m: 1. Noah Ngeny (Kenya) 1:46.5; 2. Joseph Mutua (Kenya) 1:47.0; 3.Osmael
Hammed (Sudan) 1:47.5
1,500m: 1. Robert Rono (Kenya) 3:40.6; 2. Abdelkader Hachilaf (Morocco) 3:41.5;
3. Sammy Mutai (Kenya) 3:42.4; 4. Noah Ngeny (Kenya) 3:45.0;
10,000m: 1. John Korir (kenya) 28:29.6; 2. Sammy Kipketer (Kenya) 28:30.5; 3.
Paul Kosgei (Kenya) 28:83.0;
3,000m steeplechase: 1. Wilson Boit Kipketer (Kenya) 8:27.0; 2. John Koskei
(Kenya) 8:47.7; 3. G/Mehidin Mariam (Ethiopia) 8:57.7.
Shot Putt: 1. Mkhululi Malvet Lebala (Botswana) 12.86m; 2. Tesgaye Senbet
(Ethiopia) 12:59m; 3. Kimeli Tanui (Kenya) 12:13m;
Women:
100m: 1.
Maissouri Lohra (Morocco) 12.0; 2.
Said Touria (Morocco) 12.1;
3. Jecinta Wambui (Kenya) 12.3
200m: 1. Jecinta Wambui (Kenya) 24.6; 2.
Maissouri Lohra (Morocco)
24.9; 3. Elvin Mose
(Kenya) 25.3
400m: 1. Jecinta Wambui (Kenya) 54.5; 2. Seltana Athiamou (Morocco) 54.8; 3.
Elvin Mose (Kenya) 56.1
800m: 1. Seltana Aithammou (Morocco) 2:06.9; 2. Anna Ndege (Tanzania) 2:08.4; 3.
Charity Wandia (Kenya) 2:13.9
High jump: 1. D.Dheyman (South Africa) 1.82m; 2. Chelagat Belion (Kenya) 1.55m.
