Kenya failed to impress at the World Athletics Indoor Championships in Belgrade, Serbia as unconvincing performances resulted in just two medals; a silver and bronze.
Kenyans jet back home from Serbia with only two medals
Noah Kibet and Amos Kipsang won silver and bronze respectively
Bronze medallist Kenya's Abel Kipsang poses during the podium ceremony of the men's 1500 metres final during The World Athletics Indoor Championships 2022 at the Stark Arena, in Belgrade, on March 20, 2022. (Photo by PEDJA MILOSAVLJEVIC/AFP via Getty Images)
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From the three day competition held from Friday, March 18 to Sunday, March 20, Noah Kibet claimed a silver medal in the 800 metres on Saturday while Abel Kipsang finished third in the 1,500m to come win his first medal at the global stage.
All eyes on the track had earlier been set on Norwegian Jakob Ingebrigtsen, who had set an indoor 1500m world record in Lievin, France last month.
But Ethiopian Samuel Tefera had other ideas and batted off the mighty challenge of Norway’s Olympic gold medallist with a championship record of 3:32.77 for the win.
BELGRADE, SERBIA - MARCH 20: Abel Kipsang of Kenya KEN competes during the Men's 1500 Metres Final on Day Three of the World Athletics Indoor Championships Belgrade 2022 at Belgrade Arena on March 20, 2022 in Belgrade, Serbia. (Photo by Srdjan Stevanovic/Getty Images for World Athletics)
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The Norwegian led for most of the race until Tefera made his move on the final bend, drawing equal with and then motoring past the Norwegian, who had no kick left in him to respond.
Kipsang had hit the front first in traditional fashion but allowed Ingebrigtsen to squeeze through, Tefera bidding his time to kick to gold.
“I like attacking from the front because I can’t survive if I stay at the back,” explained Kipsang, who led in 41.71 seconds at 300 metres.
“I’m used to front-running. I will now work on my speed and by the time the World Championship comes round, I will be ready,” concluded Kipsang who vowed to turn bronze to gold at July’s outdoor World Championships in Eugene, USA.
(L/R): Us athlete Bryce Hoppel, Spain's Mariano Garcia and Kenya's Noah kibet celebrate at the end of the men's 800 metres final during The World Athletics Indoor Championships 2022 at the Stark Arena, in Belgrade, on March 19, 2022. (Photo by ANDREJ ISAKOVIC/AFP via Getty Images)
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Kibet creates history
On Saturday, 17 year old Noah Kibet bagged a silver medal in the 800 metres. Kibet, a bronze medallist at last year’s World Under-20 Championships at Kasarani, finished behind Spain’s Mariano Garcia with USA’s Bryce Hoppel taking bronze.
The story of the race was defined by the tactics of Canada’s Marco Arop, who wound up eighth in 1:47.58, but who first took his rivals to a place of deep distress over the first three laps.
BELGRADE, SERBIA - MARCH 19: Bronze Medallist Bryce Hoppel of USA, Gold Medallist Mariano Garcia of Spain and Silver Medallist Noah Kibet of Kenya pose following the Men's 800 Metres Final during Day Two of the World Athletics Indoor Championships at Belgrade Arena on March 19, 2022 in Belgrade, Serbia. (Photo by Alex Pantling/Getty Images)
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Arop ripped through the opening 200m in 23.97, hit 400m in 50.34 and, at that point, Sweden’s Andreas Kramer was closely following behind, with Garcia in turn moving on to his shoulder, having spent the previous lap circling the field.
At the end, it was the Spaniard who got there first, Garcia claiming his first major championships medal. In second, Kibet became the youngest ever track medallist in the championships’ history when winning silver at the age of 17.
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