National record
7:47.16 B. Kiprop (2003)
7:44.53 M. Kipsiro ( 2005)
7:40.58 B. Kiprop (2006)
7:39.02 M. Kipsiro (2007)
*7:32.03 M. Kipsiro (2007)
MOSES Kipsiro rewrote the national 3000m mark at the Monaco Super Grand Prix on Wednesday night.
Fresh from his gold medal winning exploits at the All Africa Games, Kipsiro finished second behind Kenenisa Bekele who fell short in his attempt to break the world record.
Kipsiro had early this month broken Boniface Kiprop’s record of 7:40.58 when he clocked 7:39.02 in the IAAF Golden League in Paris.
Kipsiro again showed the finishing pace that is feared on the world track and field stage, but Bekele had set up a huge gap in the earlier laps.
Bekele, the Olympic and world 10,000 meters champion, was well outside Kenyan Daniel Komen's world record of seven minutes 20.67 when he clocked 7:29.32.
Kipsiro won a 5000m gold medal at the All Africa Games in Algiers.
Uganda finished with one gold and bronze from badminton player Edwin Ekiring.
“He is fast picking his form. We just pray that he maintains it at the world event then we will be sure of a better performance,” said the local federation secretary Beatrice Ayikoru.
She advised that Kipsiro has to run selectively if he is to avoid burning out.
With world 3000m steeplechase champion Dorcus Inzikuru bowing out of her title defence due to health problems, the onus is on Boniface Kiprop (10000m), Alex Malinga (marathon), Abraham Chepkirwok (800m) and Kipsiro (5000m & 10000m) to look for the country’s medals at the biennial event due next month in Japan.
Meanwhile, Stephen Kiprotich clocked 7:48 seconds in the 3000m in Belgium yesterday.
