Kipsiro cocktail was a long way coming
Jul 23, 2007
MOSES Kipsiro salvaged the pride of a nation as much as he achieved a personal landmark after claiming a gold medal in the 5000m at the All Africa Games in Algeria on Sunday.
By Paul Mbuga
MOSES Kipsiro salvaged the pride of a nation as much as he achieved a personal landmark after claiming a gold medal in the 5000m at the All Africa Games in Algeria on Sunday.
To that point, Uganda’s sojourn to the championships was more befitting of an obituary than a Games’ report.
Despair had reigned as prime medal hopefuls boxing and, in athletics, Boniface Kiprop, fell by the wayside.
The 20-year-old Kipsiro —— 21 on September 2 —— has for long slumbered in the shadows of his more illustrious teammates Dorcus Inzikuru and Kiprop, but the gold medal triumph should evoke little surprise.
Kipsiro is coming off a particularly impressive year-and-a-half of activity, and is beginning to garner the momentum so necessary for the success of a long-distance athlete.
He finished a respectable seventh in 5000m at the Commonwealth Games in Melbourne last year, but his form improved during the succeeding months as he clocked 13:01 in the 5000m in Stockholm and claimed the African title in the 10000m at the African Championships in Bambous, Mauritius.
Last November, he scored double cross-country success in France before taking an impressive 8km road race victory on New Year’s Eve in Germany.
In January, Kipsiro triumphed in the IAAF cross-country permit meeting at Belfast’s Stormont Castle.
He ran a memorably patient race, before using his devastating kick to out-sprint Fabiano Joseph of Tanzania to secure victory.
Kiprop retains a fondness for track races despite some forays into cross-country competitions, but his flirtation with the latter may soon come to an end following his failure to finish during the World Cross-Country Championships in Mombasa in March.
“I prefer the track because I find it easier,†Kipsiro conceded to iaaf.org, the International Association of Athletics Federations official website. “My main aim is to run the 3000m and 5000m.â€
Kipsiro’s progress will be invaluably aided by the decisive kick he possesses over the home straight.
Sprint ability over the last 200m —— a trait that Kiprop abjectly lacks —— is now a weapon every self-respecting long-distance runner must possess in his armoury.
“He’s got a very dangerous kick,†revealed his agent Ricky Simms. “It would be nice to be in that 12:50-12:55 range.â€
Kipsiro is ranked 12th over his specialist distances by the IAAF, and an upward shift is in order.
MOSES Kipsiro salvaged the pride of a nation as much as he achieved a personal landmark after claiming a gold medal in the 5000m at the All Africa Games in Algeria on Sunday.
To that point, Uganda’s sojourn to the championships was more befitting of an obituary than a Games’ report.
Despair had reigned as prime medal hopefuls boxing and, in athletics, Boniface Kiprop, fell by the wayside.
The 20-year-old Kipsiro —— 21 on September 2 —— has for long slumbered in the shadows of his more illustrious teammates Dorcus Inzikuru and Kiprop, but the gold medal triumph should evoke little surprise.
Kipsiro is coming off a particularly impressive year-and-a-half of activity, and is beginning to garner the momentum so necessary for the success of a long-distance athlete.
He finished a respectable seventh in 5000m at the Commonwealth Games in Melbourne last year, but his form improved during the succeeding months as he clocked 13:01 in the 5000m in Stockholm and claimed the African title in the 10000m at the African Championships in Bambous, Mauritius.
Last November, he scored double cross-country success in France before taking an impressive 8km road race victory on New Year’s Eve in Germany.
In January, Kipsiro triumphed in the IAAF cross-country permit meeting at Belfast’s Stormont Castle.
He ran a memorably patient race, before using his devastating kick to out-sprint Fabiano Joseph of Tanzania to secure victory.
Kiprop retains a fondness for track races despite some forays into cross-country competitions, but his flirtation with the latter may soon come to an end following his failure to finish during the World Cross-Country Championships in Mombasa in March.
“I prefer the track because I find it easier,†Kipsiro conceded to iaaf.org, the International Association of Athletics Federations official website. “My main aim is to run the 3000m and 5000m.â€
Kipsiro’s progress will be invaluably aided by the decisive kick he possesses over the home straight.
Sprint ability over the last 200m —— a trait that Kiprop abjectly lacks —— is now a weapon every self-respecting long-distance runner must possess in his armoury.
“He’s got a very dangerous kick,†revealed his agent Ricky Simms. “It would be nice to be in that 12:50-12:55 range.â€
Kipsiro is ranked 12th over his specialist distances by the IAAF, and an upward shift is in order.