Olympic 3,000m champion Conseslus Kipruto lost the title to youngster Emmanuel Kigen in today’s third of IAAF Diamond League in Eugene, USA.
The prefontaine Classic race was good for upstart Kigen to oust all round champion Kipruto in the water and barriers race as Kenyans took the first and second positions.
Kigen clocked 8:09.07 as his season best before Kipruto came second in 8:11.71 as American Evan Jager spoiled the party for all Kenyan podium places when Amos Kirui came fourth ahead of Nicholas Bett, Jairus Birech and Paul Kipsiele Koech finishing 8th.
Timothy Cheruiyot won the men’s 1,500m in 3:49.87 ahead of Ethiopian Kenyan Winny Chenet (4:00.60) finished 5th in women’s 1,500m in a race won by Shelby Houlihan (3:59.06) before Beatrice Chepkoech and Mary Kuria returning 9th and 10th clocking 4:05.36 and 4:06.07 respectively.
It was another disappointment for Kenyan runners in 800m women. Caster Semenya outclassed Margaret Nyairera Wanbui Wambui and former world champion Eunice Sum.
Semenya won the two lap race in 1:55.92 while Wambui (1:58.67) came in 6th position as Sum (2:00.41) was 8th.
World champion Hellen Obiri failed to contain the speed of Ethiopians Genzebe Dibaba and Letesenbet Gidey in 5,000m women.
The Ethiopians won the first two positon in 14:26.89 and 14:30.29 respectively before Obiri arrived to the tape in 14:13.03 to finish third.
Her compatriots lilian Kasait and Margaret Chelimo returning 5th and 6th before Alice Aprot came in 10th position.