Report15 Jul 2012


Kenyan middle distance runners highlight final night – Barcelona 2012 – Day Six Report

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Faith Kipyegon wins the 1500m at the IAAF World Junior Championships Barcelona 2012 (© Getty Images)

Kenyan middle distance runners Conseslus Kipruto and the tiny figure of Faith Kipyegon highlighted a magnificent final night's action with their 3000m Steeplechase and 1500m successes when the IAAF World Junior Championships concluded after six days in Barcelona tonight.

Championships record for Kipruto

Kipruto decimated fellow Kenyan Willy Ruto's six year old Championships record of 8:14.00 when leading from gun-to-tape he blasted out a time of 8:06.10.

His remarkable performance also improved the World lead he set at Doha's Samsung Diamond League meet in May where demonstrated his vast potential for the future.

Gilbert Kiplangat who was just over two seconds behind when runner up on that hot night in the desert, had to settle again for second best after being destroyed by his fellow countryman's last kilometre of 2:40.98 clocking 8:19.94 with Morocco's Hicham Sigueni a distant third in 8:30.14.

Kipruto 17, the fastest man at that age in the chase and maintaining Kenya's unbeaten Championships gold medal winning tradition at the distance said: "I not only got the gold but also achieved a good personal result."

Kipyegon untroubled

Kipyegon next on track quickly followed on from where Kipruto left off when motoring to a new Championships record in a race which she effectively controlled after the first 300m.

The World leader with 4:03.82 did not better that time but not really challenged stood head-and-shoulders over her much taller rivals around the 1992 Olympic Stadium in 4:04.96.

Last year's World Youth gold medallist on hearing the bell really put her foot down on the back straight only Serbia's Amela Terzic made any real attempt to take up the chase and was rewarded with her second Serbian record of the Championships in 4:07.59 with Ethiopia's Senbere setting a PB 4:08.28 behind her.

Kipyegon who will now prepare for the Olympic Games said: "When I entered the stadium I saw that Conseslus had got the gold medal and Gilbert the silver. It gave me a lot of encouragement to run. After the Olympics I want to go home and rest."

First gold for Botswana

Nijel Amos the World leader and pre-race favourite carrying an injury, bided his time until the final straight before unleashing his renowned sprint finish and win Botswana's first ever gold medal in any event with a Championships record of 1:43.79.

Amos roared ahead of his closest rival Timothy Kitum to beat the Kenyan by a healthy 0.77 with the latter's team-mate Edwin Melly setting a PB 1:44.79 for the bronze medal.

They were followed home by the tenacious Wesley Vaquez who did almost all of the pacemaking including a first lap of 51.18 until wilting in the final burn up and was rewarded with a Puerto Rican record of 1:45.29.

"I am really content to get the gold medal today in spite of my injured leg," said Amos who had managed to hide his injury from his rivals. "It will still take some time to recover."

Hurdles victory for Snow

Morgan Snow who has remained in the background over the last few days while both World leader Ekaterina Bleskina and 2011 World Youth runner up Noemi Zbaren were the punters bet to take the 100m Hurdles title, destroyed the hopes of the European candidates.

Snow producing a roaring finish into a -2.4m/s headwind regained the title Teona Rodgers last won for Team USA four years ago, winning in 13.38 with Switzerland's Zbaren 0.04 behind gaining another Age-group silver medal clocking 13.42.

World leader Bleskina (13.43) although coming out her blocks slowly made the early pace and at the half way point the Russian looked the likely winner along with Dior Hall. Unfortunately the American clattered the eighth hurdle and her body out of control, almost destroyed the next before falling to track.

"It is a great start of my international career, this gold for my country," said Snow the second fastest of the competitors who came to Barcelona.

"My focus on winning the race was all about speed and I have known that I have that speed. I didn't see Dior (fall) but she is young and she will have a great career."

Pichardo takes Triple Jump gold back to Cuba

Pedro Pichardo setting a World leading Triple Jump best for the year of 16.79m outfoxed his predecessor Artem Primak by just 13 centimetres to win Cuba's fourth gold medal in the discipline at the Championships.

The pair fought a tactical battle after Russia's Primak took the lead in the opening round with an effort of 16.43m before his rival struck gold with his 16.79m hop, step and jump in the third.

Pichardo then passed his next attempt but after Primak cleared his best distance of 16.60m in the fifth round had a no jump then sat out the final round knowing victory was under his belt. Bahamian Latario Collie-Minns placed third with 16.37m.

Germany at the double

Anna Rüh and Shanice Craft in a nail biting competition scored a German 1-2 to thwart the efforts of the USA's Shelbi Vaughan who until the last round had the gold medal in her grasp from her fourth throw of 60.07m.

Rüh became the first German winner since Ilke Wyludda scored the second of her two victories wearing the colours of East Germany in 1988 when pulling out an effort of 62.38m with Craft also producing her best in that round of 60.42 which lowered Vaughan to third.

"I did not start the competition very well because the ground was very slippery," said Rüh the World leader. "It took me time to adapt to the conditions.

"Before the last throw I thought: 'You can't go home with just 57 metres'. The competition was very hard with tough rivals."

Trost keeps Italian jumping tradition alive

Alessia Trost expressed doubts about her ability to win the High Jump title but on a night when dark clouds began hanging over the stadium before it eventually rained, the Italian's face was beaming like a sunbeam after clinching the gold medal with a clearance of 1.91m.

Trost although World leader with 1.92m admitted she feared the threat posed by Mariya Kuchina who has a best indoors mark of 1.97m but it never materialised.

Indeed the Russian finished third on count-back behind Lissa Labiche who set a Seychelles’ record of 1.88m, with Germany's Alexandra Plaza also attaining the height but ranked fourth.

"I am terribly satisfied because I took gold which was the goal of the season," said the ambitious Trost.

USA takes all Relays

Team USA's women having been reinstated after their semi-final disqualification not surprisingly with the individual gold and bronze medallists Ashley Spencer and Erika Rucker restored to the team, scored a sixth consecutive win in a World leading time of 3:30.01.

They only looked vulnerable on the third leg when Jamaica who was second in a SB 3:32.97 had Shericka Jackson close down Kendall Baisden's 10-metre lead. But the 17-year-old kept her nerve to handover a three metres advantage to Spencer.

The race for bronze was much closer Russia clocking 3:36.42 claiming it ahead of Ukraine by 0.60 with Germany running a season's best of 3:27.23.

Team USA's men also romped to a sixth successive victory where their dominance was never challenged as they carried the baton to a new 2012 World leading time of 3:03.99.

Jamaica looked the likely silver medallists but last leg runner Jermaine Fyffe was out of sorts allowing Poland with a National record of 3:05.05 to clinch second ahead of Trinidad & Tobago behind them in 3:06.32.

David Martin for the IAAF
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