Chris Tsuma
3 May 2008
Addis Ababa — There were fewer long faces in the Kenya camp on Friday after a five-medal haul in the 3,000m steeplechase and 800m men races on the third day of competition here.
Richard Matelong 8:31.68, Michael Kipyego (8:32.94) and Willy Komen (8:41.98) won gold, silver and bronze in that order moments after David Rudisha (gold) and Asbel Kiprop (bronze) had put Kenya on the podium only for the second time in the competition.
Matelong, a bronze medallist at the 2007 world championships in Osaka, was happy the rub the Ethiopians' noses in the mud, giving an eyes right salute to his team-mates on the main stand once each in the final two laps after the three had left home favourite Nahom Mesfin for dead to complete a podium sweep for Kenya.
"I was just happy," said Matelong about his cheeky gesture. "After what they did to us on the first day, it was good to beat them." In the 800m, fast rising Rudisha (1:44.20) broke Sammy Koskei's 24 year African championship record (1:45.17) set in Rabat, Morocco) to win his first senior title.
Tucked into the inside lane some 100m after the bell, the world and African junior champion wriggled out and stormed past Sudan's Ahmed Ismael at 150m out to win gold on a cool evening at the Addis Ababa Stadium. "I'm surprised that I was able to run 1:44 at high altitude because it's hard to run at such a pace at this level. But I felt strong at the finish and I could have pushed it," said the 19-year-old Rudisha.
"I'm happy to be the African champion. The Olympics is next of course but that depends on preparations and training. I feel I'm in good shape but what's hard is maintaining that for the next four months."
Ismael held off the challenge from Kenya's All-African Games 1500m champion Asbel Kiprop for silver in one of the best races in the championships so far.
The new Sports minister, Hellen Sambili, who arrived here on Friday in the company of Sports commissioner Gordon Oluoch, presented the medals to the 800m winners.
Florence Wasike, competing in the women's heptathlon for the first time at the African championships finished the day on a high note with a storming run to win the 200m.
That pulled her up from fifth to third with 2808 points. She scored 886 points in the 100m, 566 in high jump, 477 in shot put and 879 in the 200m.
It wasn't all smiles though as Muthoka finished last in the 400m final earlier in the evening. She clocked 52:81. Botswana's Amantle Montasho 49.53 took gold, silver went to Agugan Folashade 50.89 (Nigeria) while Rachael 51:39 got bronze.
In the men's 400m, Jackson Musembi 46:11. was sixth. The gold went to Ali Nagmeldin 45:64 (Sudan), while Isaac Makwala 45:64 (Botswana) took silver. James Godday 45:77 (Nigeria) won bronze.
In the 400m hurdles for men, Julius Bungei was also sixth in 51:03. South Africa's Van Zyl too won gold in 48:9, followed by Abderhamane Hamadi (Algeria) 49:84. and Ibrahim Maiga (Mali) 49:84.
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