All-Africa Games: Gold for Ethiopia in 10,000m and 1500m
Gold for Ethiopia over 10,000m and 1500m
Tsebelu Zewude kept the All-Africa Games 10,000m title on Ethiopian soil in an exciting race over 25 laps.
Seven men – Ethiopia’s Zewude, Adugna Takele and Mule Wasihun, Kenya’s Leonard Barsoton, Vincent Yator and Geoffrey Kipkorir and Eritrea’s Afewerki Berhane – began to pull away from the rest of the field after half way, which was reached in 13:43.42.
Wasihun was the first of those to fade, leaving six mean in the lead pack. With five laps to go, just four men – Zewude, Takele, Barsoton and Yator – were left to battle for the three medals.
Yator was finally broken with two laps to go with Zewude still forcing the pace out in front. African cross-country champion Barsoton overtook Takele at the start of the last lap and then moved into the lead on the back straight. But Zewude wasn’t finished and crept back into contention on the home straight, drawing level with Barsoton with 60 metres to go and then pulling clear by a couple of strides, winning in 27:27.19.
Barsoton – trying to become the first Kenyan winner of this title since 1995 – had to settle for silver in 27:27.55 with Takele taking bronze in 27:28.40.
Men’s 1,500m
Ethiopia’s Mekonnen Gebremedhin made up for the disappointment of missing out on the World Championships final by taking gold in the 1500m.
The 2012 world indoor bronze medallist began his sustained kick at the bell. With 200m to go, world junior record-holder Ronald Kwemoi looked set to challenge for the lead, but Gebremedhin kept his cool as the Kenyan faded.
Gebremedhin crossed the line in 3:45.73 with Djibouti’s Abdi Waiss Mouhyadin taking silver in 3:45.98. Kwemoi finished fourth behind Algeria’s Salim Keddar.
Read more at: IAAF.org
