Kipruto Conselsus set an Olympic record with his 3,000-meter steeplechase run of 8:03.28. For the ninth time straight, a Kenyan has won this particular event.
The two-time world championship silver medalist took the early lead before he fell behind America’s Evan Jager. However, on the last lap, Kipruto retook the lead and celebrated as soon as he had cleared his last barrier knowing the race was his.
At the same time, Jager still crashed the Kenyan party at the podium when he won silver. The American overhauled the two-time Olympic champion Ezekiel Kemboi on the final lap to take silver in 8:04.28. He became the first American to win an Olympic medal in this event since 1984.
After the race, he said, “Beating the Kenyans in championship steeplechases, it’s a very hard achievement and a very hard task.
“Since I started steeplechasing, it’s been one of the goals of mine just to be in the mix with the Kenyans and beat some of them on the day at championship races. Beating Kemboi, who has been so dominant over his entire career and I believe is the greatest steeplechaser of all time, it’s a huge accomplishment for me, and it makes me very proud.”
Meanwhile, the 34-year-old Kemboi announced his retirement.
[perfectpullquote align=”full” cite=”” link=”” color=”” class=”” size=””]“I just want to say today that I am officially retiring from athletics. I want to say thanks to all of my fans over the world – to the people in Kenya (and) my family. Today will be the last athletics (competition) of my career. Thank you,’”[/perfectpullquote]
said Kemboi.
A few hours later, Kemboi was disqualified aftter Mahiedine Mekhissi-Benabbad of France filed a post-race appeal claiming that the Kenyan had committed an “infringement of the inside border.”
After the contest, a frustrated Mekhissi-Benabbad had said that “when one makes the road less, this is not the (3,000-meter steeplechase).”
Following, the appeal was granted and the Frenchman took bronze.
Photo Courtesy: ADRIAN DENNIS/AFP/Getty Images
