Peter Langat wins the 2000m Steeplechase at 2009 East African Youth Championships (© Elshadai Negash)
Impressive finishing by Kenya’s Peter Langat in the Boys’ 2000m Steeplechase, a 400m/800m double by Sudan’s Alawia Maki, and a dominant showing by hosts Ethiopia in the 1500m and 3000m events were among the highlights of the action in the 7th East African Youth Championships 25-26 April 2009 at the Addis Ababa stadium.
Maki the star of the show
The East African Youth Championships has a short, but illustrious track record of producing some of the region’s top runners. In 2003, Sudan’s All-African Games 400m hurdles champion Muna Jabir came from virtual anonymity to win five gold medals in these championships, while Kenya’s Augustine Choge, a 1500m finalist at the Beijing Olympics last year, had graced international competition in this event four years ago when winning an 800m/1500m double.
This year was the turn of Sudan’s Alawia Maki who produced two crowd-pleasing performances to rightfully become the star of these championships. The 16-year-old first took the girls’ 400m on Saturday before winning the 800m in a slow 2:05.54 to complete the only double of these championships.
Langat prevents Ethiopian middle distance sweep
Equally impressive in this meet was little-known Kenyan Peter Langat who outsprinted Ethiopia’s Desta Alemu in the last 150m of the race to take victory in the Boys’ 2000m Steeplechase. After taking the lead in the first two laps of the race, Langat then slowed down to hand Alemu and his Ethiopian colleague Ayele Getachew the front-running responsibilities.
Alemu duly took the lead with 800m of the race left and looked in contention to complete another victory for the hosts before an amazing run from Langat in the final 300m. After drawing level with his Ethiopian challenger 300m from the finish line, the young Kenya outkicked Alemu in the home straight to take victory in 5:35.25 ahead of Alemu and Getachew.
Yalew, Etea, and Wincha take regional titles
That victory ruined Ethiopian hopes of completing one-two finishes in all both the girls and boys races over the 1500m, the 3000m, and the 2000m Steeplechase.
The most impressive of those victories came in the women’s 3000m where Genet Yalew defeated Emebet Anteneh, who was 7th in the junior race at the recent World Cross Country Championships in Amman. The two youngsters were in contention for victory until the last 100m of the race when Yalew used her track experience from domestic races to take victory in 9:31.24.
In the girls’ 1500m, Shito Wincha produced an impressive finishing sprint to beat compatriot Gete Dema, while Korahubesh Etea, fourth in the World Junior 3000m Steeplechase, was the dominant winner in the girls’ 2000m Steeplechase.
Elshadai Negash for the IAAF
