Kiplimo faces tough Diamond League debut

What you need to know:

  • Teenager Jacob Kiplimo will run his first major race since winning World Junior Cross-country gold on home soil at the Doha Diamond League in Qatar tonight.

KAMPALA.

Teenage athlete Jacob Kiplimo no longer needs a detailed introduction to his fellow natives.

Some 40 days ago, the 16-year-old became the first Ugandan to win gold at the IAAF World Cross-Country Championships when he won the junior men’s 8km race at Kololo Airstrip.

That feat received a unique blessing from President Museveni on the Sunday afternoon of March 26. It was a bulk of success added to his World junior 10000m bronze medal won in Bydgoszcz, Poland last July.

With the undoubted potential down his spikes unmasked, the youngster is now set to take his athletics career a little further.

Kiplimo will run his debut IAAF Diamond League (DL) run at the Doha Meeting when he lines-up for the 3000m event in Doha at the Qatar SC Stadium this evening.
In the build-up to the London World Championships, Kiplimo is up against a stern test in the Middle East. He is up against an elite field of 16 long-distance runners comprising six Kenyans and two Ethiopians.

While he is not up for a win, the race is more of a preparatory event set up by Kiplimo’s Italian manager Guisseppe Gambrone to fine-tune speed details before doing a 5000m or 10000m race.

The learning curve will be a little steeper for the teenager as he will mingle with some familiar faces like 2015 World 5000m silver medalist Kenyan Caleb Ndiku.

Ndiku came sixth while Kiplimo was 11th in Heat 1 of the 5000m at the Rio Olympics in Brazil last year.

Ndiku’s counterparts in the race are Olympic steeplechase champion Conseslus Kipruto and 2012 Olympic bronze medalist Thomas Longosiwa.

World indoor champion Yomif Kejelcha and Olympic 5000m silver medalist American Paul Chelimo will spice up the seven-and-a-half lap race.

KIPLIMO AT A GLANCE
Full name: Jacob Kiplimo
Home District: Kween Club: Arua
Personal Bests: 1500m (3:50.24), 3000m (7:52.94), 5000m (13:19.54), 10000m (27:26.68)
CAREER HIGHLIGHTS
2016 World Jnr 10000m Bronze
2016 Rio Olympics Debut (5000m)
2017 National Jnr X-Country Gold
2017 World Jnr X-Country Gold