Chepkoech eyes steeplechase medal sweep, Krop, Kimeli upbeat
World 3,000m steeplechase record-holder Beatrice Chepkoech is confident of a podium sweep in tonight’s final in Doha, Qatar.
Chepkoech will be joined by 2015 world champion Hyvin Kiyeng and World Under-20 winner Celliphine Chespol in the final scheduled for 9.50pm (Kenyan time)
She is optimistic despite the youngest member of the quartet Fancy Cherono failing to reach the final from Friday’s heats.
“I could have loved to have all the four of us in the finals but it’s not the case. When I look at Hyvin and Chespol, I see a team capable of beating anyone,” said Chepkoech, who recorded the fastest time of the qualifiers on Friday with 9:18.01.
The Kenyan trio will be up against defending champion Emma Coburn of USA and her compatriot Courtney Frerichs, who won silver in London in 2017. Others are Kenyan-born Bahraini Winfred Mutile and Ugandan Peruth Chemutai.
The race will be preceded by the men’s 5,000m final (9.20pm) where youngsters Jacob Krop and Nicholas Kimeli will fly the country’s flag as they seek to win a gold that has been elusive for Kenya since Benjamin Limo’s heroics in Helsinki, Finland in 2005.
Krop, the reigning Africa junior champion, looks stronger of the two, having finished second in his heat while Kimeli could only manager fifth place.
