Kiplagat sneaks into Olympics steeplechase final
Benjamin Kiplagat
What you need to know:
Ugandan Benjamin Kiplagat has qualified for the Olympics 3000m steeplechase final despite finishing a distant sixth in the semifinals.
London Olympics 3000m steeplechase results
Heat 1
1. Mahiedine Mekhisi-Bebabbad (FRA) 8:16.23
2. Evan Jager (USA) 8:16.61
3. Abel Mutai (KEN) 8:17.70
6. Benjamin Kiplagat (UGA) 8:18.44
Heat 2
1. Brimin Kipruto (KEN) 8:28.62
2. Yuri Floriani (ITALY) 8:29.01
3. Brahim Taleb (MAR) 8:29.02
7. Jacob Araptany (UGA) 8:35.85
Ugandan runner Benjamin Kiplagat loves it fast. For him, it doesn’t matter the stage – running from the front is his obsession. At the Olympics, and in a semi-final race where you expect many runners to be cautious, the Ugandan set a blistering pace and almost paid the price by finishing outside the top four automatic qualifiers for the final. But in the end, his fast pace paid off.
Kiplagat’s 8:18.44 time earned him a place in Sunday’s 3000m steeplechase final as one of the two fastest losers. It didn’t matter that he finished sixth after leading for the bigger part of the water-jump race won by Frenchman Mahiedine Mekhisi-Benabbad (8:16.23).
After his usual brilliant start, Kiplagat, a silver medallist at the 2008 World Junior Championships, tripped in the latter stages of the race and had to stagger to the finish line. Rated against the other finishers in Heat 2 and 3, Kiplagat could have easily won. Kenyan Brimin Kipruto clocked 8:28.62 to win the second heat. Kipruto’s winning time was almost 10 seconds slower than Kiplagat’s. The winner of the third heat, Roba Gari from Ethiopia, posted 8:20.68, equally two seconds slower than Kiplagat.
Another Ugandan Jacob Araptany failed to make it out of Heat 2 after finishing seventh in 8:35.85.
Just like Kiplagat, Araptany dominated the earlier exchanges and looked good for a top four finish. He, however, also stumbled, heading into the final lap and faded to cross the finish line almost at trotting pace.
Araptany, too, loves doing the rabbit work but the strategy doesn’t seem to work out for him. At the Africa Senior Championships in Benin in June, the youngster led the bigger part of final but mistimed a jump and finished eighth.
