2011 Worlds Steeplechase Prelims: Favorites Advance and Americans Struggle

By LetsRun.com
August 29, 2011
Daegu, South Korea

In the prelims on Monday morning in Daegu, South Korea, all of the favorites advanced to the final of the men's steeplechase, including Olympic and World Champions Ezekiel Kemboi who ran a fast 8:10.93 in his first round heat.

All 3 Americans had subpar races and failed to advance. Dan Huling had the most interesting comments after the race as he hinted at some troubles off the track that have limited him this year.  Recap, commentary, and interviews below. Note the top 4 in each heat and the next 3 fastest times made the final.

Heat 1: Uganda's Jacob Araptany Hoping to Make a Name for Himself

Jacob Araptany and unheralded Ugandan with an 8:15 pr, took over this race with less than four laps to go. He broke open the pack and would run largely uncontested to the finish as things played out behind him. There was no doubt who the top 4 were in this one as the Olympic silver medallist France's Mahiedine Mekhissi-Benabbadi, 2009 World Champs silver medallist Richard Mateelong and Moldova's Ion Luchianov advanced.

Afterwards Araptany said he hopes to break through in the final to challenge the 3 Kenyan stars in the final. Billy Nelson was disappointed with his race and will likely race in Zurich but overall was pleased to pr this year (8:17.27) and win the USA Champs as he got his career going back in an upward direction.

1	1029	Jacob Araptany	UGA	8:18.57 Q
2	415	Mahiedine Mekhissi-Benabbad	FRA	8:23.71 Q
3	659	Richard Kipkemboi Mateelong	KEN	8:23.76 Q
4	755	Ion Luchianov	MDA	8:23.88 Q	(SB)
5	335	Víctor García	ESP	8:28.97
6	1018	Amor Ben Yahia	TUN	8:30.02	(PB)
7	873	Abubaker Ali Kamal	QAT	8:30.37
8	912	Andrey Farnosov	RUS	8:34.44
9	221	Alex Genest	CAN	8:36.67
10	506	Steffen Uliczka	GER	8:37.35
11	747	Abdelkader Hachlaf	MAR	8:46.14
12	1105	William Nelson	USA	8:51.20

Jacob Araptany Hoping for a Breakthrough in the Final	Billy Nelson Still Pleased with His Season

Heat 2: Ruben Ramolefi Makes It a Fast One, Dan Huling Talks About Some

Despite the warm and muggy conditions (82 °F and 70% humidity) South Africa's Ruben Romelfi made this a very fast race. He pushed the pace in the early kilometers to make this possibly the fastest steeple prelim ever at Worlds.

Five guys were together on the final lap fighting for the four automatic spots. Olympic and World Champ Ezekiel Kemboi got the heat win in 8:10.93, Ramolefi was awarded with a pr of 8:11.50 (he had run 8:12 earlier this year), Morocco's Hamid Ezzine got a season's best and Ethiopia's Nahom Mesfin got a pb in 8:12.04.

That left France's Bouabdellah Tahri (bronze in 09) the odd man out in 8:13.22 but he'd easily advance to the final on time. Dan Huling, the 2010 US Champ who ran 8:13.29 last year but has only run 8:25.90 this year, ran 8:34 here.

Afterwards Huling was disappointed at wasting an opportunity to not only make the final but to run in a race that does not go out in 8 minute pace. He said, "The prelims are a great opportunity to run fast because they don't go out in 2:36 (for the first kilometer). I'm embarrassed, disappointed, a little bit relieved."

As for the relieved part, Huling then hinted at some problems off the track, "Just some things went on. I hate to be all coy about it. I just don't want it to be an excuse I ran poorly. I had something going on where I could do the things I needed to. I had two and  half weeks after USAs. I was really fit, last year fit (when he prd) and then something happened and it's been emotional exhausting as well."

Huling is calling it a season. You can watch interviews with him and Kemboi below. Kemboi says, "I have to defend my (world) title at all costs."

1	642	Ezekiel Kemboi	KEN	8:10.93 Q
2	897	Ruben Ramolefi	RSA	8:11.50 Q	(NR)
3	745	Hamid Ezzine	MAR	8:11.81 Q	(SB)
4	378	Nahom Mesfin	ETH	8:12.04 Q	(PB)
5	421	Bouabdellah Tahri	FRA	8:13.22 q
6	706	Ali Ahmed Al-Amri	KSA	8:26.75	(SB)
7	1030	Simon Ayeko	UGA	8:29.02	(SB)
8	388	Jukka Keskisalo	FIN	8:31.52
9	1086	Daniel Huling	USA	8:34.70
10	353	Tomás Tajadura	ESP	8:36.23
11	799	Bjørnar Ustad Kristensen	NOR	8:39.85
12	843	Lukasz Parszczynski	POL	8:44.09

Dan Huling On Some Struggles: "I'm embarrassed, disappointed, I little bit relieved."

Ezekiel Kemboi: "I have to defend my title at all costs."

Heat 3: Abraham Chirchir Sneaks Into the Final

No huge surprises in heat 3 as Benjamin Kiplagat got the meaningless win and Olympic champ and favorite Brimin Kipruto (who ran 7:53.64 earlier this year) advanced as did Ethiopian Roba Gari and Portugal's Alberto Paula. Abraham Chirchir, who is only an 8:19 steepler and keeping sub 8 man off the Kenyan team, did what you expect an 8:19 guy to do in the heat, run 8:23.09. However, it was good enough to put him in the final. (Paul Koech if you're reading this, we wish you were here).

Kipruto did not want to talk about strategy for the final although he thought it was not possible for the Kenyans to run as a team. Ben Bruce, who was only 5th at USAs but made his first Worlds team here by hitting the "A" standard by running 8:19 in Barcelona, talked about getting experience at Worlds.

1	1033	Benjamin Kiplagat	UGA	8:19.96 Q
2	369	Roba Gari	ETH	8:20.28 Q
3	647	Brimin Kiprop Kipruto	KEN	8:21.89 Q
4	860	Alberto Paulo	POR	8:22.41 Q	(PB)
5	641	Abraham Kipkirong Chirchir	KEN	8:23.09 q	(SB)
6	425	Vincent Zouaoui-Dandrieux	FRA	8:23.79 q
7	344	Ángel Mullera	ESP	8:31.83
8	121	Youcef Abdi	AUS	8:38.42
9	1065	Ben Bruce	USA	8:39.96
10	222	Matthew Hughes	CAN	8:58.52
	816	Mario Bazán	PER	DNF

Brimin Kipruto: Says Team Tactics Not Possible in Final

Ben Bruce: Talks About Worlds and Running 8:19 Earlier This Year

 

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