BY WILLIAM NJUGUNA
Kenyan athletes struggled at the Diamond league meeting in Stockholm with none registering a win on Thursday.
5000 meter Olympic bronze medallist Thomas Longosiwa put up a gallant fight coming homes second in his speciality in cold and damp conditions in the Swedish capital
Longosiwa clocked f 12:56.16 with Commonwealth games and Africa 500 meter champion Caleb Ndiku coming home third in 12:59.17 apersonal best. Ethiopia’s Muktar Edris won the men’s 5000m in a world season’s best of 12:54.83. USA Galen Rupp came home fourth in 13:05.97
Having led for three laps after the last pacer dropped away, Rupp was left to solve a tactical problem as the leading men settled in behind him. With two laps to go he appeared to slow deliberately and offer the lead to Ndiku, but as the Kenyan led the race out the US runner began to lose touch with the leading trio.
“This is a personal best for me and the world’s best time this year so of course this is a great night for me,” said Edris. “It is all good – good race, good day, good time.”
In the men’s Javelin, Yego who defended his African crown in Morocco last week, was briefly in contention when his 84.67m effort took him up to second before three successive foul throws saw him slide down the order to finish fourth.
Finnish Antti Ruuskanen won with 87.24m ahead of Germany’s Thomas Rohler (85.12m) and former world champion, Tero Pitkamaki (84.73m) who closed the podium.
Viola Kibiwott, the former World Cross junior champion finished fifth (4:04.17) in the women 1500m final won by American champion, Jennifer Simpson (4:00.38).
Hyvin Kiyeng (9:17.04) was the best placed Kenyan in the women 3000m steeple with Worlds silver medallist, Lidya Chepkirui, continuing with her unrewarding season after finishing 10th in 9:36.37
Olympic 800m bronze medllist Timothy Kiptum came home a disappointing eight posting 1:47.93. Poland Adam Kszczot clinched thew race in 1:45.25
Commonwealth games 800 meter champion Nijel;Amos of Botswana came home fifth in 1:46.04 1500m African Champion Souleiman Ayanlew of Djibouti closed in for second in 1:45.19
Ethiopian Hiwot Ayalew, the newly crowned African champion impressively won the women’s 3000m steeplechase, in 9:17.04 with Tunisian Habiba Ghribi the former silver world and Olympic silver medalist second in a season best of 9:18.39.
The top placed Kenyan Hyvin Kiyeng was fifth in 9:24.03 as the silver winner from Moscow Lidya Chepkurui’s upsetting season carried on as she crossed the line 10th 9:36.67.
British Jennifer Simpson’s strong finish earned her a memorable victory in the 1500m in 4:00.38 upsetting the world indoor champion Ethiopian Genzebe Dibaba the early breakaway leader who finished second in 4:01.00.
Sifan Hassan the Ethiopian born dutch was third just behind Dibaba in 4:01.62 as Viola Kibiwottt the solo Kenyan in the race in fifth in 4:04.17.
The Diamond league next heads back to the UK-Birmingham tomorrow, the third last stop before Zurich and the last round in Brussels.
Courtesy of the-star.co.ke