It was a bad outing for team Kenya at the concluded World Athletics Indoor championships in Nanjing, China today.
When all Kenyans had exited the championships, all focus was on Susan Ejore into the 1,500m final but the American based runner finished 5th at 4:03.89 as the last athlete on track.
The race was won by Ethiopia’s Gudaf Tsegay with a course record of 3:54.86, edging compatriot Diribe Welteji who settled for silver in 3:59.30 as Great Briton Georgia Hunter Bell managed bronze with season best of 3:59.84.
Her podium miss came after the reigning African Games 5000m bronze medalist Cornelius Kemboi and the 2019 World Mountain Running champion Purity Gitonga failed to make the podium of the men’s and women’s 3000m respectively.
Kemboi also settled for 8th position when he closed the finish line in 7:49.00 as his seasonal best after Norwegian Jakub Ingebrigtsen winning the gold at 7:46.09 as season best as Ethiopian Berihu Aregawi settling for silver when he timed 7:46.25 and Australian Ky Robinson winning bronze in 7:47.09.
Susan Lokoye Ejore will be in action in the 1,500m final set to be run at 15:28 EAT.
Lilian Odira, Noah Kibet, Cornelius Kemboi and Purity Kajuju Gitonga were edged out of the finals.
Odira finished last in heat 1 at position 6 when she clocked 2:16.12 in one of her slowest race, failing to meet the final.
Her heat was won by Ethiopian Tsige Duguma (2:03.85) followed by compatriot Nigist Getachew at 2:04.01 and Portuguese international Patricia Silva in 2:04.20 with top three making it to the final set for today afternoon.
Heat 2 was won by Switzerland’s Audrey Werro (2:01.11) followed by South African Prudence Sekgodiso (2:01.21) and Polish Anna Wielgosz in 2:01:36.
In men, Kibet also failed to make the cut when he managed position 4 in heat 1 at 1:48.90 in a heat won by American Josh Hoey (1:45.23), Ugandan Tom Dradriga (1:46.98) and Poland’s Patryk Sieradzki (1:47.55).
In the 3,000m, Kenya’s Purity Kajuju Gitonga and Cornelius Kemboi failed to win a medal during a final yesterday. Gitonga, the mountain and terrain run specialist finished 8th overall in a race won by Ethiopian Freweyn Hailu (8:37.21) with silver going to American Shelby Houlihan (8:38.26) and Australian Jessica Hall settling for bronze at 8:38.28.
At last year’s edition of the same competition in Glasgow, Kenya returned with one medal — bronze — courtesy of Beatrice Chepkoech