News06 Sep 2004


Kiprop beats the clock

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Boniface Kiprop of Uganda wins the men's 10,000m final (© Getty Images)

In all the excitement of world records by Saif Saaeed Shaheen and Yelena Isinbayeva, a world junior record over 10,000 metres by Uganda's Boniface Kiprop went virtually unheralded at the Brussels Memorial Van Damme - TDK Golden League - meeting on Friday.

Finishing fifth in the last event on the programme in 27:04.00, Kiprop was duly credited with a national best but few people realised he had sliced more than seven seconds off the previous junior mark of 27:11.18 that had stood to the name of Kenya's late Richard Chelimo sine 1991.

"I am just happy to have the World Junior record. I had been preparing to run that race sort of race all year. Now I hope that the record will stay in my name for a long time, maybe 15 years," said a delighted Kiprop, who was one of the few people in the Stade Roi Baudouin who realised that he had gone into new territory for a teenager.

"Ever since I was running well at cross country in January, I have known that it was possible to get this record. I have had a good year and managed to avoid injury. I knew that this race was a good chance for me to show what I can do.

"I ran in Brussels last year and just missed the record then (he finished ninth in 27:15.88) and so I knew this race was going to be fast.

"At the start of the year I had hoped to run under 27 minutes, but I am still happy with my time. It is the result of all my hard work," added the reigning World Junior champion over 25 laps of the track, unconcerned that his achievement did not receive much immediate acclaim in the stadium or the European media.

Recognition at home

At least at home in Kabchorwa, only 10 miles from the Kenyan border, there were plenty of people who knew what he had done.

"I had told my family that I was in good shape and they knew what I was aiming for, and so they all went into the nearest town and watched the race. They don't have satellite television in their house but there is a bar that has it. I spoke to them after the race and everyone was very pleased," said Kiprop, the morning after his record run. 

Kiprop had been rooming with Qatar's Saif Saaeed Shaheen, erstwhile known as the Kenyan steeplechaser Stephen Cherono, at the Brussels meeting hotel and the amiable Ugandan admitted that seeing his room mate and occasional training partner break the world record over the barriers earlier in the Memorial Van Damme meeting had been an inspiration.

"It put me in a good frame of mind." The one big difference between the two friends was that Kiprop had the Olympic 10,000 from two weeks before still in his legs while Shaheen had missed the Olympics due to being ineligible to run for his newly-adopted country.

"The Olympic 10,000 was a tough race for me. When I looked at the field (in Athens) I thought 'There are a lot of strong people there,' I thought before the race that 10th would be a good position for me at the finish."

"But during the race, I started to feel good around the midway point. In fact, I was very happy with fourth, even though I just missed the bronze, because I beat many good people including Haile Gebrselassie."

In the footsteps of Akii-Bua

Kiprop becomes the first Ugandan to hold a global athletics record since the legendary John Akii-Bua, who won the 1972 Olympic 400 metres hurdles gold medal in what was then a World record of 47.82 seconds.

He hopes his achievements this season will provide the spur for more government support and more public interest in Ugandan athletics.

He is likely to have a reception committee waiting for him when he returns to Uganda at the end of the month, possibly even attended by the Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni.

Museveni, a keen sports fan, has followed Kiprop´s progress closely and has had regular contact with the youngster.

"I am sure that lots of Ugandans will be very happy over what I have done and I am sure that they will have a lot more confidence in the athletes. I think that there will be a lot more support for the athletes. Very soon, we could be on the same level as the Kenyans and Ethiopians," commented Kiprop, looking into his crystal ball.

Phil Minshull for the IAAF

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