Fresh from delivering Commonwealth gold for Kenya in the men’s 5,000m in Glasgow, Scotland, Mathew Kipsang will spearhead Kenya’s charge at the Lausanne Diamond League on Friday as he seeks to carry his golden momentum onto the global circuit.
Kipsang secured his first global medal for the country at the Commonwealth Games in Scotland, producing a strong finish to clinch the 5,000m title in 13:23.61.
The 30-year-old outkicked Australia’s Ky Robinson, who clocked 13:24.70, and India’s Gulveer Singh, who stopped the clock at 13:24.95. Further, Kipsang ended Kenya’s 12-year wait for gold in the 5,000m at the Commonwealth Games.
The last Kenyan to reign supreme at the Commonwealth Games before Kipsang was Caleb Ndiku, who claimed the title in 2014, also in Glasgow. After his golden performance in Glasgow, Kipsang now turns his sights to the Diamond League circuit in Lausanne, where he will be hoping to translate his Commonwealth triumph into another commanding performance.
The distance star heads to Lausanne bullish, having declared that his golden performance in Glasgow was a sign of Kenya’s resurgence over the 5,000m. “It has been a while since Kenya brought home a medal in the 5,000m.”
Kipsang believes Kenya has firmly re-established itself among the world’s elite over the distance and is ready to reclaim its place at the sharp end of global 5,000m racing. “I believe now Kenya is back in the 5,000m,” he said.
Friday’s meeting will mark Kipsang’s fourth Diamond League outing of the season, giving him another opportunity to sharpen his competitive edge and collect valuable points on the road to the League final. He launched his campaign in Shanghai on May 16, featuring in 3,000m, where he placed sixth in 7:27.58.
Germany’s Mohamed Abdilaahi won the race in 7:25.77, leading Reynold Cheruiyot, who clocked 7:26.11, and Sweden’s Andreas Almgren, who timed 7:26.48, onto the podium.
Seven days later, Kipsang featured at the Xiamen meeting, this time over 5,000m, where he endured a disappointing 11th-place finish in 13:12.82. Ethiopia’s Addisu Yihune won the race in 12:57.32, with Abdilaahi taking second in 12:57.90 and Biniam Mehary completing the podium in 12:58.51.
His most recent Diamond League outing was in Paris, where he once again missed out on the 5,000m podium, settling for ninth place after clocking 12:58.95. The podium was claimed by American Grant Fisher in 12:54.80, Jacob Krop in 12:55.22 and Almgren in 12:55.38.
Kipsang will be keen to put up a strong showing in Lausanne, not only to regain his place among the leading contenders but also to punch in more valuable points ahead of the League final in Brussels on September 4-5. Joining Kipsang in the Lausanne charge are compatriots Cornelius Kemboi, Charles Kiboino, Laban Kosgei and Krop, giving Kenya a formidable hand in the distance-heavy field.
Cornelius Kemboi will be hoping for redemption after narrowly missing out on a Commonwealth Games 5,000m medal, finishing fourth in 13:24.99.
Elsewhere, Krop will be chasing his second Diamond League podium finish of the season after establishing himself as one of Kenya’s leading contenders on the circuit.
Following his second-place finish in Paris, Krop featured at the Monaco meeting, where he narrowly missed the podium, placing fourth in 12:53.71.
Switzerland’s Dominic Lobalu won the race in 12:52.54, with American Graham Blanks taking second in 12:52.60 and Bahraini Birhanu Balew completing the podium in 12:52.91.
The Kenyan contingent, however, face a stern test against a strong cast of international distance stars, spearheaded by Balew, the current world number two.
Also in the fold are Fisher and Lobalu, while Ethiopia has assembled a strong cast led by Mezgebu Sime.
