Simon Koech reacts after finishing third in heat 3 of the 3000m steeplechase race (C) NOC-K
The Kenyan trio of Amos Serem, Abraham Kibiwot and Simon Koech are through to the finals of the men's 3000 metres steeplechase at the 2024 Paris Olympics Games, compounding what has been a pleasant Monday for Team Kenya at the Stade de France in Saint-Denis, Paris, as the trio's success followed up on Wiseman Were's qualification to the 400 metres hurdles semifinals.
Serem was sixth in heat one with a time of 8:18:41, Abraham third in heat two with a time of 8:12:02 while Koech was third in heat 3 with a time of 8:24:95.
However, Amos Serem needed a referee's decision to earn his spot in the final after he was adjudged to have been pushed before clearing the final barrier in the penultimate lap.
Serem, running in Heat One, seemed to have automatic qualification with sight but a push from another athlete before he cleared the last barrier in the sixth full lap of the race, forced the 21-year old to lose his balance, causing him to delay his jump by going round the barrier first before tracking back to jump over it and continue with the race.
That mishap lost Serem valuable second and had him trailing the leading pack by a margin that seemed unassailable. However, the World U20 champion showed great determination and spirit, giving his all as he sprinted to catch up with leading pack to narrowly miss out on finishing within the automatic qualification positions.
Round One of the 3 000 metres steeplechase featured three heats. Athletes competed to finish in the top five positions of their heats to guarantee their place in the final. Those who finish sixth and below are eliminated.
Serem's finished only eighth hundredths of a second slower than the Tunisian Ahmed Jaziri who was fifth with a time of 8:18.33.
Soufiane El Bakkali of Morocco, who is the reigning world and Olympic champion, won that heat with a time of 8:17.90. Leonard Chemutai of Uganda, 8:18.19, was second after running a season best. Ethiopian Getnet Wale finished third after clocking 8:18.25. Fourth place went to the Spaniard Daniel Arce, 8:18.31.
Serem, at first distraught at missing the final, was later relieved to proceed to the next stage after a successful appeal.
“I was pushed at the barrier by an athlete from behind and the barrier was too close to jump, otherwise I would have tripped," Amos Serem told Team Kenya on what caused his faulty barrier jump during his heat.
In Heat Two, Abraham Kibiwot, perhaps spooked by what happened to Serem, led his heat from the onset, and throughout did his best to remain ahead to minimise chances of being boxed.
Although he had no response to the Moroccan Mohamed Tindouft overtaking him and sprinting away in the final lap, Kibiwot qualification at that stage was never in doubt as the leading quartet had broken away from the rest of the field by an unassailable margin.
In the end, with qualification assured, Kibiwot easily coasted to a third place finish with a time of 8:12.02. Tindouft won the night's fastest race with a personal best of 8:10.62. The Ethiopian Samuel Firewu was second with a time of 8:11.61.
Ryuji Miura of Japan clocked 8:12.41 to finish fourth. India's Avinash Mukunda Sable scooped the remaining qualification slot, finishing fifth with a time of 8:15.43.
Heat Three was the slowest of the night but it ended with Kenya's Simon Koech being among the five fastest athlete in the race. Koech finished third in the race with a time of 8:24.95, with the American Kenneth Rooks edging him in a photo finish having also registered a similar time.
The Ethiopian Lamecha Girma, who holds the world record in the event, gave a preview of what should be expected of him in the final. Girma ran a strong final lap to win the heat with a time of 8:23.89, more than a full second ahead of Rooks and Koech.
Mohamed Amin Jhinaoui (Tunisia) and Jean-Simon Desgagnés (Canada) were fourth and fifth respectively with times of 8:25.24 and 8:25.28.
