KENYA’S GOLD ONCE MORE
EAST AFRICAN STRANGLEHOLD CONTINUES OVER THE BARRIERS
JH
3000M S’CHASE
KENYA took its ninth consecutive Olympic gold in this event, or the 11th if you do not include Games they boycotted. This was courtesy of Conseslus Kipruto, who beat American Evan Jager to gold in an Olympic record of 8:03.28.
“I knew nobody was going to catch me, so I started celebrating in the finishing straight,” said Kipruto.
It was Kipruto’s first major senior title after silver medals at the 2013 and 2015 World Championships. For Jager, who pushed the pace in the latter stages, it was the United States’ first Olympic medal in this event since Brian Diemer won bronze in 1984, although the 27-year-old’s podium success in Rio followed that of US team-mate Emma Coburn in the women’s ’chase.