Kiplimo content with second-place finish
Kiplimo displays his medals at Cafe Javas Lugogo where the team was hosted for a luncheon yesterday. PHOTO BY ISMAIL KEZAALA
Kampala- Jacob Kiplimo was delighted to claim what he called a ‘hard fought’ second place in the senior men’s race at the IAAF World Cross Country Championships in Aarhus, Denmark on Saturday after losing the winning position to countryman Joshua Cheptegei.
The world junior cross country champion was at the fore from the start but as the race reached its climax, the lead pack whittled to just Cheptegei, Kiplimo and Kenya’s Kamworor.
“I am a front runner. I was trying to push the pace but in the last kilometre I got so tired and just followed Cheptegei because what mattered at that stage was being on the podium,” he said yesterday as the team was treated to a luncheon by the National Council of Sports (NCS) at Cafe Javas in Lugogo.
Race course was no problem
Although the course was described as unforgiving with runners having to climb the roof of the Moesgaard Museum--a steep, brutal climb that competitors faced five times as well as a mud put, a six-inch deep pool of water, a section with soft sand, as well as endless undulations, Kiplimo says it had no impact on how he finished the race.
“In Kapchorwa I am exposed to similar hurdles and I am happy I gave the race my best,” said Kiplimo, who arrived four seconds behind Cheptegei who won in 31.40 minutes.
With Thomas Ayeko seventh and Joseph Ayeko tenth, Uganda took team gold as well – easily ahead of Kenya, Ethiopia, Eritrea and Burundi.
Races ahead
He now has his sights set on the faster IAAF Diamond Leagues and the World Championships in Doha. The 14-legged Diamond League starts May 3 in Doha before it goes to Shanghai, Stockholm, Rome, Oslo, Rabat, Eugene (USA), Lausanne, Monaco, London, Birmingham, Paris, Zurich and Brussels.
Chesang plots for future
Just days before the team departed for Denmark, 10,000 metres 2018 Commonwealth Games champion, Stella Chesang, stepped on a stone during training and she feels finishing 21st, two minutes behind the eventual race winner, Hellen Obiri was painful.
“I was feeling pain throughout the race. I got massaged in camp and thought I would be better but when I started running, it kept hurting,” she said.
She pushed hard in the first lap completing it 7:18 while posting a 15th place before accumulating 30.06 minutes only enough to join the team celebrations as Uganda managed a team bronze.
