Kiplagat’s time to prove a point

Benjamin Kiplagat heads into the IAAF Continental Cup in Split, Croatia this evening keen to make up for his abysmal show at last month’s Africa Senior Championships in Nairobi.

The steeplechaser entered the Nairobi showpiece as one of Uganda’s medal prospects but finished a distant fifth despite leading the water-jump race for the bigger part. Kiplagat blamed a boil that hit him on the eve of the race in Nairobi but has little excuses this time round. “This is my opportunity to make amends,” Kiplagat told Sunday Monitor before he left for Split. “It’s a chance for me to show the world that I have come of age in this competition.”

For many years, Kenyans have dominated the race and Kiplagat will have a similar opponent in Richard Mateelong to deal with if he is to capture the Shs33m winner’s cash prize. Mateelong beat fellow Kenyan Ezekiel Kemboi to win African gold and is the frontrunner for the top prize today.
Ethiopian Gary Chubeta, who outlasted Kiplagat in the final 300 metres to win bronze in Nairobi, is the third athlete representing Africa. Chubeta is another hurdle for Kiplagat but the Ugandan expressed confidence he would come home ahead of the Ethiopian even though they are representing the same team.

Apart from Asia, other continents Europe and the Americas have little to show in this race. Moses Kipsiro and Saraha Nambawa, the other Ugandans on the African team competed late yesterday.