Double gold haul for Kenya

2008-08-23 14:43

Pirate Irwin

Beijing - Kenya made a great start to the track and field programme here on Saturday as they took the first two Olympic golds on offer in the men's 800m and the women's 1 500m.

Wilfred Bungei gave Kenya their first men's 800m Olympic title since William Tanui in 1992.

Virtual unknown Nancy Langat then celebrated her 27th birthday a day late and handed Kenya's women their second title of the athletics - and their second ever - when she cantered to an easy victory in the 1 500m.

Bungei produced a fine frontrunning performance to land the gold (1min 44.65sec) and prove he can win major titles outdoors as he did indoors when he won the world title in 2006.

Bungei, who was fifth in the 2004 final, edged home ahead of Ismail Ahmed Ismail (1:44.70), who gave Sudan their first ever track and field Olympic medal, while another Kenyan Alfred Yego (1:44.82) was third.

The two Kenyans led at the bell but only 28-year-old Bungei could stay out in front as Yego was swallowed up by Ismail, the only other athlete in the field from the 2004 final where he finished last, and Bahrain's Yusuf Saad Kamel.

Bungei rounded the turn with a clear lead which little by little Ismail reduced but was unable to quite close the gap as they crossed the line - Yego produced a courageous performance to come back from the dead to take out Kamel and take the bronze.

Bungei's chances of winning the title had increased immeasurably when defending champion Yury Borzakovsky failed to finish as one of the fastest losers in the semi-finals.

Personal best

Langat ran a tactically astute race as she waited for race favourite and world champion Maryam Yusuf Jamal of Bahrain to make her move to the front, which she did with 500m to go, passing powerful Ukrainian Iryna Lishchynska and pacesetter Anna Alminova of Russia.

Jamal initially looked to have the measure of the Kenyan, 27 on Friday, but down the backstretch the Ethiopian-born Asian Games champion had no answer when Langat passed her.

Coming round the bend there appeared a brief hope the 23-year-old could claw back the ground but Langat, who was a semi-finalist in the 2004 Games, accelerated and it was game over for the gold as she bettered her personal best by over two seconds (4min 00:23sec).

Jamal looked round her desperately as she tried at least to hold on for a minor medal but was passed by both Lishchynska (4:01.63) and Nataliya Tobias (4:01.78).

Jamal, who applied to run for four other countries after claiming refugee status and Switzerland turning her down, crossed the line in fifth and displayed her despair by putting her hands to her face.

- SAPA