Can Team Kenya trio reclaim the country's glory in men's 3000m Steeplechase?

ATHLETICS Can Team Kenya trio reclaim the country's glory in men's 3000m Steeplechase?

Abigael Wafula 11:16 - 07.08.2023

Abraham Kibiwott, Leonard Bett, and Simon Koech will be lining up for the men's race with the hope of raising Kenya's flag high.

A pack of three young men, Abraham Kibiwott, Leonard Bett, and Simon Koech will be lining up against a strong field at the World Championships in Budapest, Hungary, with the hope of reclaiming the world title that Kenya lost to Morocco.

It will not be an easy outing for the trio, especially with little motivation since two-time World Champion Conseslus Kipruto and former World Under-20 champion Amos Serem will miss out.

All hope rests on the trio, but do they have all it takes to floor other bigwigs when they head to Central Europe?

In the recent past, the men’s steeplechase has seen the rise of other strong athletes from Ethiopia and Morocco, who have posed threats to Kenyan dominance.

Looking back, during the times of four-time World Champion Ezekiel Kemboi, it was always guaranteed that a Kenyan would make it to the podium, and winning gold medals was the order of the day.

Kenyans have made history, not once, by attaining a clean 1-2-3 podium sweep but now fingers are crossed on whether a Kenyan will even emerge among the top three. 

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This year, Ethiopia’s Lamecha Girma broke the world record at the Diamond League Meeting in Paris and he will definitely be seeking more glory as he heads to Budapest.

The 22-year-old has been in the form of his life and has only lost one race since the season started, finishing second in the 1500m at the Diamond League Meeting in Lausanne.

Another one to look out for is defending champion Soufiane El Bakkali of Morocco. He might not be the world record holder but the defending champion will certainly be looking to retain his title.

The 27-year-old has been unbeaten in the specialty and just like Girma, he has lost once, the 3000m race at the Diamond League Meeting in Doha, Qatar.

The Kenyan trio will have their work cut out as they look to impress on the global stage because the duo of Girma and Bakkali will prove to be a nightmare to them.

Kibiwott, the Commonwealth Games champion, will be keen to challenge the duo. He has only bagged one win since the season started, at the sixth Athletics Kenya weekend meet. 

He has been to four Diamond League Meetings where he posted decent performances, and might just surprise his fans when he goes to Budapest.

On his part, Bett is yet to bag a win so far this season. The 22-year-old has only competed in two Diamond League Meetings, Poland and Morocco, where he finished third and fifth respectively.

Koech, the fresh kid on the block has also impressed so far this season and he might just be Kenya’s favourite to medal at the event.

He has an unbeaten run this season but not much had been said about him until he went for the Diamond League Meeting in Monaco where he dominantly won. Just at 20 years, Koech might just be on an operation to become the next World Champion.

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