Kenya Plans to once again dominate 3000SC men

Conseslus Kiproto sound warning at Doha League

Kenya has dominated the race since 1968.

It is all about “who will take the gold home for Kenya” 

Conseslus Kiproto, this young man has decreed a war with one man known well over, Eziekel Kemboi in 3000m steeple chase.

Ezekiel Kemboi reacts to a pus by Conseslus Kipruto

During the world championship in Beijing, it  clear there were some hostility between this two guys, NOTE, hostility in form of winning the gold medal, not personal one.

Eziekel Kemboi is well known for his explosive speed toward the finale 200, and the last handle which he does in style that always lips him far away from anyone following at close range. This was what he did during Beijing championship to deny young Kiproto a gold medal.

This race has become a Kenya affair since 1968 when Amos Biwott won gold medal, followed by Benjamin Kogo for silver. Since then, Kenya has won ten times, it is only in 1976(Montreal-

Canada)) and 1980 (Moscow), Kenya did not participate in the Olympics due to political stands.

The race is always very explosive as there are so many Kenyans who always do well in 3000m steeple chase, King Ezekiel Kemboi, young star Conseslus Kiproto, the wonder man Brimin Kipruto, Abel Mutai and many more are all set to make sure this gold is for Kenya.

Amos Biwott 1968

“Kenya is the dominant nation, winning the past six men’s Olympic titles and taking 13 of the 18 medals on offer in those races. Qatar and Bahrain are also strong, although their success is chiefly obtained via Kenyan-born athletes.”

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Kenya is yet to name her team  but some of this names will be in that list

Looking at just concluded Doha Diamond League, the battle will be between EziekelKemboi, the current title holder and the winner of Doha league, Conseslus Kiproto. Even though Kemboi was not among top finishes in Doha, I still have faith in him to collect one more gold medal at Rio games.

This is a race that will make world stand due to what Kenyans will produce, and this is one medal that I am counting for Kenya.

Go Kenya Go.

Ethiopia's First Skate Park - BBC World Service

"You Tube Man"-Julius Yego on a mission at Rio games in Javelini

“You Tube Man” Julius Yego on a mission to complete.

King of Africa Javelin, want to stamp his Authority in Rio Games

Throwing Beats Running-Yego Says

Julius Yego the only Kenyan to date to have won an field event is a man on a mission, with a throw of 92.72m during Beijing Championship which he won a gold medal, Yego will be looking forward to show the world that the throw at Beijing was not a fluke but a reality.

Julius Yego

“YouTube man” as he is fondly known in Kenya, Yego has being a one army man. Forget the Hollywood Movies where you have a one man army destroying a whole army battalion, Yego has shown with pure determinations you can achieve the impossible.

Kenya is known for middle and long distance runners, even though back in late 60s and early 70s, Kenya had great runners in 400m.

Thus when Yego started showing interest in javelin, most of his workmate (He is a police officer), thought he was out of his mind, as he comes from a community that is well known for great athletics. 

This was why no matter what he tried doing; he could not get any assistance on how to train like a javelin thrower.

Julius Yego

"I do not have a coach, my motivation comes from within. Training without a coach is not an easy thing... I watched YouTube and it really paid off for me, to see the training techniques and skills they are using.", he told CNN’s Paul Gittings  

This was after her started making his presence felt in 2013, a year after he qualified for London Olympic

The self-taught Yego has earned his first national call up in 2010 and threw a personal best of 74.51 m to take the bronze medal at the 2010 African Championships in Athletics, which was held in Nairobi.

After two months of training at the IAAF-accredited centre in Kuortane, Finland, Yego returned to Kenya in April 2012 and threw a new record of 79.95 m. This was within the Olympic "B" standard for the event and gained him the prospect of becoming the first Kenyan person to compete in the javelin at the Olympics.

Yego won the javelin at the 2014 Commonwealth Games, beating the reigning Olympic champion, Keshorn Walcott, with a distance of 83.87 m.He is the first Kenyan athlete to win a Commonwealth title in a field event. 

He went on to win a second gold later that summer at the African Championships, throwing a season best 84.72 m and defeating world leader Ihab Abdelrahman El-Sayed of Egypt.

Julius Yego

Through his rise, he has seen the other side of officiating when he competed in Britain and won at the British Grand Prix in Birmingham, he overtook Veselý in the last round with a massive throw of 91.39 m; the throw was ruled out on basis of a narrow sector foul, but that was later overturned after his coach requested a re-measurement of the sector angle, the original sector was found to not have been wide enough and the ruling was overturned. Yego's throw was a new African record and the best in the world since 2006.

Thus he winning a gold medal at Beijing was a process he had started and it seems the time has arrived for him to win that gold medal that is a dream for any sportsman/ woman.

Team Kenya-Women marathon old and new Experince to work out

After London fall Sumgong now looks at Rio Games.

New and old experience will be a key strategy for Team Kenya.

Kenya assure of podium finish at women marathon 

Visiline Jepkesho

Kenya has named her women marathon team for Rio games. The team has mix of new names and the core of marathon running in Kenya like Mary Keitany and Frorence Kiplagat even though the two are on reserve list.

Visiline Jepkesho will be leading Kenya; she scooped her biggest win in her carrier during the 40thn edition of Paris Marathon by winning in time of 2:25:52 to take home the victory. She did this in style in a field that had great stars from Ethiopia, Gulume Tollesa (2:26:14) and Dinknesh Mekasha (2:28:12).

She was the winner of Lisbon and Milan two years ago, at Paris Mararthon  she wanted to improve her PB of 2:24:53.21 but things did not go as planned and it was not possible. “Am happy I won the race even though I did not achieve what I wanted”, she said after the race. 

The second member of team Kenya will be Helah Kiprop. A runner who have being doing both half and full marathon the season of 2013 marked a career breakthrough for her as he achieved new personal bests and ran in her first major marathon race.

Kiprop began the year with a win at the Egmond Half Marathon, followed with RAK Half Marathon that saw speed and pace going to top gear with four women under 67 minute. Helah  Kiprop time of 67:39 (BP), which made her finish at position  sixth place was the fastest ever recorded for such a low position(Position 6).

Helah Kiprop

At Berlin Half Marathon, Kiprop took an early lead, and was first to finish in 67:54 minutes, reversing her placing with Ongori from the previous year. Her fast performances earned her invite to the 2013 Berlin Marathon and on her debut run she recorded a time of 2:28:02 hours for the distance, ending in fourth place in the top level competition. Her last outing that year was at the first ever Kochi Half Marathon, which she won.

 Jemima Jelagat Sumgong, is a very prolific long-distance runner. She has won the London, Rotterdam and Las Vegas Marathons, and has finished runner-up at the Boston, Chicago and New York City Marathons. She has a personal best of 2:20:48 hours for the distance.

Sumgong has a rich history which spans a very short period. In 2012, at Kenya cross country championship, she finished at position seven, but she at Boston Marathon she came second behind Sharon Cherop in a sprint of the finale home meters. 2013, Sumgomg was better as she clichéd the Rotterdam Marathon in 2:23:27 bettering her previous mark with six seconds.

Jemimah Sumgong and Florence Kiplagat

At Boston Marathon of 2014, Sumgong finished fourth in her ever fastest time of 2:20:41, later she finished second at New York Marathon losing a hard battle to her country lady, Mary Keitany.

Her recent win was on the 24th April 2016 when she won the London Marathon with the time of 2:22:58. The event was notable as she fell during the run, but still managed to finish ahead of the rest of the field. 

Mary Keitany and Florence Kiplagat who are as reserve members of team Kenya have rich experience which might upset the entire field. This are runners who share loads of wins among them and this been an Olympic, anything is possible.

In women marathon, one of the medals will be won by Kenya, the question is, which between gold and silver.

Kenya picks a formidable team to win Marathon title at Rio Games

 

Kenya selects a strong Marathon team for Rio Games

Eliud wants to complete set of Medal collection.

Samuel Wanjiru was last Kenyan to win the title in Beijing Games

 

Kenya has named her teams, both men and women for Rio games in marathon. The team has big names that have taken world marathon series with a bag. The names were announced and confirmed by Athletics Kenya on May 10^th, 2016

Eliud Kipchoge

Among the names for men team is World Marathon major’s champion. Eliud Kipchoge. Having won London marathon last month (April-2016), in 2:03:03 which is the second-fastest time ever in history,Kipchoge will be a force to watch at the games, if he wins which is on the higher side of probability, he will have completed a set of medal collections as he won a silver medal in 2008 and a bronze medal in 2004, both in 5000m.

The other two runners in the team are Stanley Biwott and Wesley Korir who will be attempting the games for the first time.

Stanley  Biwott has being competing in half and full marathon races. He won the 2012 Paris Marathon in a course record time of 2:05:11 hours and the 2015 New York City Marathon. His half marathon best is 58:56 minutes.He won the 2015 New York Marathon and then finished second at this year’s London Marathon in a personal best of 2:03:51

In 2013 at Ras Al Khaimah Half Marathon he finished as runner-up behind Geoffrey Kipsang, finishing in time of 58:56 which was his best time, he moved up to tenth on the all-time lists of best timers.

At the 2014 London Marathon Biwott ran a career best time of 2:04:55 to finish in at 2nd position. In March 2015, he won the City-Pier-City-Loop half marathon in the fastest time of the season 00:59:20. And sum it up, in November 2015; he won the New York City Marathon in 2:10:34.

Stanley Biwott(2nd from right)

At the 2016 London Marathon he improved his career best to 2:03:51, coming second behind Eliud Kipchoge and placing him sixth on the all-time ranking list.

Wesley Korir was the top Kenyan finisher at this year’s Boston Marathon, placing fourth in 2:14:05 behind a trio of Ethiopian athletes. The 33-year-old set his personal best of 2:06:13 when finishing fifth at the 2012 Chicago Marathon.

Korir who spent most of his time in US and won 5000m and 10000m at the Ohio Valley Conference championship in 2004 has a mixer of opportunities. From being a refuge in Uganda during Kenya worst moment of 2007/8 general election violence, and having to look for another school in US after Murray state dropped men truck and cross country programs.

Korir had his most significant victory to date at the 2012 Boston Marathon. He ran a tactical race under extreme heat which claimed many of the pre-race favourites, whom included his countryman Geoffrey Mutai who was considered the favourite to win.

Wesley Korir

Two-time Amsterdam Marathon champion Bernard Kipyego and Paris Marathon champion Cyprian Kotut have been named as reserves.

The marathon title has been so elusive for Kenya, the great Samuel Wanjiru was the last Kenya to won a gold medal at Olympic games when he did it in style at Beijing Olympics. It now looks all set for Kenya to win agian this elosive medal. The current form of Eliud Kipchoge is making any other marathona wonder what he can do to stop him.

This is for Kenya to lose.