The 3,000 meter steeplechase runner-who bagged gold at both the Athens 2004 and London 2012 Olympic Games -said he was retiring after taking the bronze medal at Rio 2016, coming in third in Wednesday’s race.
Advertisement
Regarded as something of a young pretender to Kenya’s steeplechase crown, the 21-year-old sprinted clear of the field to seal gold in an Olympic record of 8:03.28.
Since the 1968 Olympics, Kenya have won gold every time they have taken part, and that streak continued in Rio, with Conseslus Kipruto claiming victory this time around in an Olympic Record time of 8.03.28.
Updated | Kenyan double Olympic champion Ezekiel Kemboi announced his retirement on a relative high Wednesday-before he was stripped of a bronze medal for a lane infringement and then withdrew his retirement. The strategy paid off as he, Kipruto and bronze medalist Ezekiel Kemboi (8:08.47), also of Kenya, emerged from the pack around the home turn and pushed to the finish.
“I knew nobody was going to catch me, so I started celebrating, I was so happy because I knew I was going to win the gold in the last 200 metres”, he said.
Olympics champion Ezekiel Kemboi has rescinded his decision to retire from athletics, setting his eyes to 2017 World Championship in London.
At last year’s world championships, USA record holder Jager led with one lap to go, but finished sixth.
Jager, who trains with the Bowerman Track Club, became the first US man to medal since Brian Diemer in 1984. “I was so prepared to win today”, he said triumphantly. Despite the spill, Jager still finished in an American record 8:00.45 beating Kipruto in the process. As soon as I got over the last barrier, I could fully enjoy it.
Ashton Eaton is bidding to become the first decathlete since Daley Thompson in 1984 to defend his Olympic title and he leads after three events.
With Jager up front and Kipruto and Kemboi in tow, the three leaders built a 30-meter on the rest of the field.
The other Americans in the final, Hillary Bor and Donn Cabral, were eighth and ninth, respectively.
The women’s 3000m steeplechase competition took place on Monday. “I always get tripped up or tangled up with someone”, Farah said.
Advertisement
Jager, sixth at both the Beijing and London Games, produced one last spurt to overtake a fast-fading Kemboi for silver, the Kenyan left with a bronze to add to his incredible medal tally.
