Looked like Kigen was closing a championship 1500m there on the last lap. Had only an 8:11 pb before. Beats both Kipruto and Jager by nearly three seconds all in the last 400.
Splits say it was a 57.89 and I believe it -- is that the fastest steeple close ever?
http://flashresults.com/2018_Meets/Outdoor/05-25_PrefontaineClassic/014-1-01.htm
lol, turns out Jager split 56.7 last year to win USAs, though to be fair that was an 8:16 race.
Yeah, not even close to fastest ever. Kemboi must have beat that at least a few times.
The powers that be are going to back off on testing the E. Africans after the Kiprop affair! Just think of what we're in store for this summer. Of course the bloody Europeans, Yanks, Japanese and the rest will still have to play by the rules, so they'll be eating EPO littered dust for the foreseeable future.
The cynic in me says that the "unknown" Kenyans are fresh off the doping, not being WADA-targeted yet, while underperformers like Kipruto today are basically running clean for a change. It will be interesting to see this year play out....
Jager is extremely talented physically, and has an ideal 36 inch inseam for the hurdles.
He should be well under 8 minutes, but has no mental ambition and he runs like a wuss.
Ehso wrote:
Yeah, not even close to fastest ever. Kemboi must have beat that at least a few times.
Kemboi probably could have, but I don't know that he ever did. Usually he was far enough ahead he could ease up last 100 and celebrate drifting out to lane 8.
Dingler wrote:
Ehso wrote:
Yeah, not even close to fastest ever. Kemboi must have beat that at least a few times.
Kemboi probably could have, but I don't know that he ever did. Usually he was far enough ahead he could ease up last 100 and celebrate drifting out to lane 8.
Reuters says he went sub-57 at 2015 worlds but I can't find an official split:
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-athletics-world-steeplechase/record-fourth-steeplechase-crown-for-kenyan-kemboi-idUSKCN0QT1N720150824Either way that was towards the end of his prime, so yea he probably did it earlier as well.
That's not a 400m split and there can't be any official last lap of a steeple split since the distance of the last lap can be different for different tracks.
Rojo/wejo/whoever writes the articles, I don’t know if this is on purpose but you missed this race in your distance recap of pre
57 something close at 2003 worlds according to the announcer and that was an 8:04 race with uneven pacing.
Shaheen last lap in WCh 2005 was 55"6
Are you the famous 1500m runner or just using his name? :)
I'll say it in American: I am super STOKED for Benjamin Kigen and what he did yesterday in the steeple. That last three hundred was sensational to watch. Conseslus says he's recovering from malaria but, without doubting his excuse, I think his showboating days, coaching teammates during actual championship races and chatting with others about his backyard garden in Eldoret while navigating the third water jump days are over. For a few years, he's had no real rivals that he could afford to win the worlds while carrying an injury. Kigen has done to Conseslus what Conseslus did to the original showboater Ezekiel Kemboi (ironically, at Pre as well). It may be just me, but I think I detected a little saltiness in his post race comments which is good. And while not as bitter as the one he had with "whacky old man" Kemboi, I think such a rivalry can only be good news for an event which has stagnated for for a couple of years. He will not want to be destroyed like that again. Conseslus needed someone to light a fire from under him and Kigen might be it.
I don't know if it came through because of Kigen's limited English but he said he's from Baringo county (not as famous for producing runners), trains in Ngong (just outside Nairobi City) under coach Isaac Rono with, among others, Amos Kirui. Says he felt fresh after the race (only his 9th steeple) and that he thought he could run under 8 minutes. He couldn't believe the scalps he'd taken and how easy it had been. The steeplechase will be exciting this year, especially if El Bakaali is in good form as well.
Thanks for that info, El Keniano.
El Keniano wrote:
I'll say it in American: I am super STOKED for Benjamin Kigen and what he did yesterday in the steeple. That last three hundred was sensational to watch. Conseslus says he's recovering from malaria but, without doubting his excuse, I think his showboating days, coaching teammates during actual championship races and chatting with others about his backyard garden in Eldoret while navigating the third water jump days are over. For a few years, he's had no real rivals that he could afford to win the worlds while carrying an injury. Kigen has done to Conseslus what Conseslus did to the original showboater Ezekiel Kemboi (ironically, at Pre as well). It may be just me, but I think I detected a little saltiness in his post race comments which is good. And while not as bitter as the one he had with "whacky old man" Kemboi, I think such a rivalry can only be good news for an event which has stagnated for for a couple of years. He will not want to be destroyed like that again. Conseslus needed someone to light a fire from under him and Kigen might be it.
I don't know if it came through because of Kigen's limited English but he said he's from Baringo county (not as famous for producing runners), trains in Ngong (just outside Nairobi City) under coach Isaac Rono with, among others, Amos Kirui. Says he felt fresh after the race (only his 9th steeple) and that he thought he could run under 8 minutes. He couldn't believe the scalps he'd taken and how easy it had been. The steeplechase will be exciting this year, especially if El Bakaali is in good form as well.
I thought Eugene was a boring meeting?
It is boring, which is why I didn’t see it live (watched the Real Madrid make history in Kiev, instead). But that’s not to say there weren’t some unexpected outstanding performances depending on who you like - Jakob Ingebrigtsen (expected) and Shelby Houlihan (unexpected) for you guys, just like Tim Cheruiyot (expected) and Ben Kigen (unexpected) for us Kenyans.
pohiohuigc wrote:
The cynic in me says that the "unknown" Kenyans are fresh off the doping, not being WADA-targeted yet, while underperformers like Kipruto today are basically running clean for a change. It will be interesting to see this year play out....
If Kirptuo underperformed, then, what did Jager do?
A little commonsense.
El Keniano wrote:
I'll say it in American: I am super STOKED for Benjamin Kigen and what he did yesterday in the steeple. That last three hundred was sensational to watch. Conseslus says he's recovering from malaria but, without doubting his excuse, I think his showboating days, coaching teammates during actual championship races and chatting with others about his backyard garden in Eldoret while navigating the third water jump days are over. For a few years, he's had no real rivals that he could afford to win the worlds while carrying an injury. Kigen has done to Conseslus what Conseslus did to the original showboater Ezekiel Kemboi (ironically, at Pre as well). It may be just me, but I think I detected a little saltiness in his post race comments which is good. And while not as bitter as the one he had with "whacky old man" Kemboi, I think such a rivalry can only be good news for an event which has stagnated for for a couple of years. He will not want to be destroyed like that again. Conseslus needed someone to light a fire from under him and Kigen might be it.
I don't know if it came through because of Kigen's limited English but he said he's from Baringo county (not as famous for producing runners), trains in Ngong (just outside Nairobi City) under coach Isaac Rono with, among others, Amos Kirui. Says he felt fresh after the race (only his 9th steeple) and that he thought he could run under 8 minutes. He couldn't believe the scalps he'd taken and how easy it had been. The steeplechase will be exciting this year, especially if El Bakaali is in good form as well.
True, true, true.
Great post El Keniano!
I knew the name Benjamin Kigen but that was about it.
This young man shocked me and he's only 23!
The guy has the stride and briskness of Timothy Cheruiyot and the rapidness of a Masai Mara Tommy gazelle.
Amos Kirui is only 20!
Personally, I'd hate to see Birech and Brimin running for us again because they will always bomb!
Kipruto, Kigen and Kirui are a formidable trio.
Yes, Kipruto has met his match. We neended this and if Jager and Souffiane El Bakkali thought that they were the heirs apparent, they'd best be advised to think again.
Jager still has it though and doesn't give up. He makes the whole thing all the worthy!
Tiimothy Cheruiyot, what a guy!
Noah Lyles is crazy, ............at 20! Excellent!
You said it, NativeSon. Birech and Brimin Kipruto, even when they were in better shape than all their competitors, showed distinct lack of fight when it counted. Birech still doesn't have a global medal, considering he was once unbeatable, and Kipruto could've been the world record holder. Unfortunately for us, they are both better than most when running trials at altitude.
I have always had a soft spot for Tim Cheruiyot who seems very humble, quiet and exceptionally talented, but often gets overshadowed by his friend and training partner with the big kick of the former sprinter that he is. Timo is reportedly a very good lapper who can do it without pacers. Hopefully this is the year he steps out of Elijah Manangoi's shadow. Both say they want to break 3:28 this year so we'll see. I hope they succeed given the recent very disappointing news.
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