Kiplagat secures Uganda’s first medal in Benin

Benjamin Kiplagat’s patience has finally paid off. After four painful years, the Ugandan runner has finally won his first medal as a senior.

A silver medallist at the 2008 World Junior Championships, Kiplagat clinched bronze in the 3000m steeplechase final on Friday, the first for Uganda at the ongoing Africa Senior Championships in Benin. On a cloudy but humid evening, Kiplagat applied the technical acumen he is rarely known for, keeping behind the leading pack for the bigger part of the race and attacking at the bell. His compatriot Jacob Araptany did the rabbit work, leading from the gun with eventual winner Abel Mutai (8:16.05) of Kenya and South African Ruben Ramolefi in pursuit.

Araptany and Ramolefi exchanged the lead until the fifth lap when the Ugandan miss-timed his jump at the water barrier and fell, dashing his hopes for a medal at his first Africa Senior Championships. Mutai and Abraham Maraba then broke away with Kiplagat threatening to overhaul them albeit briefly. Kiplagat’s final kick was not as strong as he would want it heading into next month’s London Olympics but he will at least be happy it helped him hold off Ethiopian Nahom Tariku who was hot on his heels.

Maraba came second in 8:16.96 with Kiplagat clocking 8:18.73 and Tariku fourth in 8:20.23. “This medal means a lot to me,” the 23-year-old Kiplagat said after doing the lap of honour with Araptany, the Ugandan flag wrapped around his waist. “It gives me confidence heading to the Olympics. If I work on my final sprint, I can return with a medal from London,” he added.

Since 2008, Kiplagat has been a nearly-man in the water-jump race, always leading until the final metres of the duel. He was into the medal bracket at the 2010 Africa Championships in Nairobi but faded in the final 100 metres to finish fifth. The same year, he came so close to winning bronze at the Commonwealth Games in India but engaged the reverse gear in the dying moments to come home in fourth.

At last year’s World Championships in South Korea, he dominated the bigger part of the final alongside Araptany but ended up finishing 10th. “This medal will inspire me to greater things,” Kiplagat noted. “I have realized that my change of tactics is working.” Although he celebrated his colleague’s conquest here, Araptany returns home a disappointed man. “I was feeling good.

I knew I was going to kick and take one of the medals. But that’s running for you; today you are lucky, the next day you are unlucky,” Araptany, who jogged through the final lap to clock 8:48.12 and finish eighth, said. “But I am not deterred. I will go to London and fight like a warrior.”

Janet Achola meanwhile settled for fifth position in the women’s 1500m final despite an impressive start. She held onto third place until the final 400m when her legs started giving way. “I can’t say I am disappointed. I have been in Europe for close to a month and I haven’t had quality training.

I will be in better shape for London,” Achola, timed at 4:12.55, said. Ali Ngaimoko’s hopes of making the Olympics were also dashed, Uganda’s best sprinter coming home in 46.78 seconds, his worst time here, in the 400m final. Ngaimoko had a good start but said his spikes lost some screws heading into the final bend. He was due to compete in the 200 metre heats yesterday.

Friday results.22
1500m (women)
1. Arafi Rabab (MOROCCO) 4:05.80
2. Mary Kirui (KENYA) 4:06
3. Margaret Wangari (KENYA) 4:06.50
5. Janet Achola (UGANDA) 4:12.55

400m (men)
1. Isaac Makwala (BOTSWANA) 45.25
2. Oscar Pistorious (S. AFRICA) 45.52
3. Willem De Beer (S.AFRICA) 45.67
7. Ali Ngaimoko (UGANDA) 46.78

3000m steeplechase (men)
1.Abel Mutai (KENYA) 8:16.05
2.Wilson Maraba (KENYA) 8:16.96
3.Benjamin Kiplagat (UGANDA) 8:18.73
4.Nahom Tariku (ETHIOPIA) 8:20.23
8.Jacob Araptany (UGANDA) 8:48.12