Jelimo, Jepkosgei cruise into the 800m semi finals
Posted by African Press International on August 16, 2008
World 800m champion Janeth Jepkosgei leads the field in the qualifying round of the two-lap race at the National Stadium in Beijing. Photo/ MOHAMMED AMIN
In Summary
- 18-year-old Jelimo has come into the Olympics with a seasons best time of one minute, 54.97 seconds
- Mozambiques veteran Maria de Lourdes Mutola also made it to Saturdays semi-finals with the fastest time in the heats
Kenyas world champion Janeth Jepkosgei and world number one this season Pamela Jelimo broke no sweat in making it to Saturdays semi-finals of the 800 metres as the eagerly-awaited Olympics track programme started at a packed Beijing National Olympics Stadium Friday.
Veronica Nyaruai eliminated from the steeplechase after being spiked at the water jump.
It was full house Friday at the Birds Nest. And understandably, at that, because the opening races included the 100 metres heats where the three fastest men in the world were in action.
The Kenyan 800m girls too enjoyed the atmosphere with 18-year-old Jelimo, who has come into the Olympics with a seasons best time of one minute, 54.97 seconds (a junior world record), comfortably striding through in her heat three which she won in 2:03.18 to go through along with second-placed Jamaican Kenia Sinclair (2:03.76) and French import Elodie Guegan (2:03.85).
Won with ease
World champion Jepkosgei ran in the final heat which she also won with ease in 1:59.72 to reach Saturdays semi-finals that will be run from 7.39 pm (2.39 pm Kenyan time) at the Birds Nest.
Mozambiques veteran Maria de Lourdes Mutola also made it to Saturdays semi-finals with the fastest time in the heats, 1:58.91, perhaps sending out signals that she is not yet headed for the pensioners queue in Maputo.
Jepkosgei, who seems to enjoy temporarily living in the shadows of the latest sensation Jelimo, sought to deflect away questions about her rivalry with the teenage sensation saying they were working as a team to win Kenyas first ever womens gold at the Olympics.
On her rivalry with Jelimo, Jepkosgei said: We are friends and she gets advice from me. I respect her and she respects me. We will have to fight for what we will get in the final. She is a very good candidate to beat and I will do my best.
Kenya suffered two casualties on the track when Nicholas Kemboi struggled in the 1,500m heats, falling off the pace and dropping out of the Olympics after finishing 11th in 3:41.56 in a heat won by South African Juan van Deventer (3:36.32).
All Africa Games champion Asbel Kiprop (3:41.28) and the impressive Augustine Choge (3:35.47) coasted into Sundays semi-final while former Kenyan, Ali Mansoor Belal (Gideon Yego), just qualified after placing sixth in this heat but qualifying due to his fast time of 3:36.84.
The unfortunate Nyaruai also failed to advance in the 3,000m steeplechase after falling in the first lap and failing to recover, finishing 12th in her heat with the other two entries, Ruth Bosibori and Eunice.
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API/Source.nation.ke
