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Kenyans dominate steeplechase
Athens - Ezekiel Kemboi continued the Kenyan tradition in the Olympic Games 3 000 metres steeplechase when he led home a clean sweep by the East African nation, winning in 8min 5.81sec on Tuesday.
Kenya have won the steeplecase title at every Games they have attended since 1968, missing only the 1976 and 1980 gold medals due to boycotts.
Teenager Brimin Kipruto was second in 8:06.11 while Paul Koech, the pre-race favourite as the only man under eight minutes this year, was third in 8:06.64.
Koech took up the pace with four laps to go, but Kemboi went past him going into the penultimate barrier at the start of the final bend as Koech started to flag.
The trio took a lap of honour together and were then congratulated on the track by the legendary Kip Keino, the man often credited with inspiring the Kenyan running revolution.
Among his other feats, Keino won the 1972 steeplecase gold medal at the Munich Olympics and he is now an International Olympic Committee member.
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