Kenyan wins steeplechase – again

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RIO – Kenya’s Conseslus Kipruto stormed to a dominant victory in the men’s 3 000 metres steeplechase final yesterday, ensuring the East African nation maintained their iron grip on the event they have won in every Games since 1984.

The 21-year-old had long been touted as the young pretender to Kenya’s steeplechase crown but he produced a final lap sprint that saw him grab gold in an Olympic record of eight minutes 3.28 seconds.

A winner of two silver world championship medals, Kipruto was so far ahead of his rivals that he started celebrating and waving to the crowd at the start of the final straight.

“Even before the race I knew I would win,” said Kipruto, who also revealed he had suffered a calf injury days earlier. (Reuters)

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