Two-time Olympic 3,000 metres steeplechase champion Ezekiel Kemboi cruised to victory in his speciality at the IAAF Challenge meeting in Beijing on Wednesday.
Kemboi, who is also four time world champion, led a Kenyan 1-2 finish in the 3,000m steeplechase after posting 8:14.19. Abraham Biwott came home second in 8:14.58 while Bahrain’s John Kibet completed the podium in 8:18.53.
Kenya’s Kipyegon Bett won the men’s 800m after a tight battle with USA’s Erik Sowinski down the home straight. Sowinski seemed to have gained the upper hand before Bett’s desperate lunge for the line saw him thrust his chest in front by centimeters. Both were given the same time of 1:45.80.
World youth champion Willy Tarbei proved there are limits to what precocious 17-year-olds can do, fading to fourth place behind Britain Michael Rimmer in 1:47.32 after leading into the final bend. Tarbei flew to Beijing after running 1:44.84 in Germany last weekend.
Former world indoor 3,000m champion Helen Obiri looked, and proved to be, the class of the women’s 1500m. Having gone sub-4:00 in Shanghai, she left it to the final lap to win by almost 10metres in 4:02.11. Betlhem Desalegn of the United Arab Emirates and Nelly Jepkosgei of Kenya filled the minor places. Desalegn’s time of 4:03.70 broke her own national record.
Sam Kendricks of the USA won the pole vault with 5.92m, another outdoor world lead and the best pole vault performance by a US man since June 2008. He also defeated world champion Shawn Barber, who finished sixth with 5.60m.
Kendricks had three unsuccessful attempts at 6.00m, which would have established him in an exclusive club to have cleared that height. It would have also bettered the Chinese all-comers’ record of 5.96m, set by Steve Hooker when winning the Olympic title in 2008. But two competitions in China for two wins over the world champion will have to do for now.