Clock ticks on for youngster Kibet

For the next few weeks, Dan Kibet will be working under some pressure. That’s all in the aftermath of the failure to hit the qualifying standard over the 5000m to the Paris Olympic Games twice over the past fortnight.

The 20-year-old went to the Asian nation beaming with confidence after an impressive cross-country season. But he has twice struggled to replicate similar performances on the season opening Wanda Diamond League (DL) events.

Granted the global outdoor season has had a pretty early start but Kibet will be pondering after he yet again missed running under a time of 13 minutes and five seconds during the Shanghai/Suzhou DL leg on Saturday.

Kibet posted a time of 13:31.64 in a distant 14th place after the 12-and-a-half-lap race won by Ethiopian Selemon Barega in a quick 12:55.68.

“It were about the same performances like last week,” Kibet’s coach Addy Ruiter reacted to the performance. A week prior at the Xiamen DL leg, Kibet posted 13:24.64 in 17th place.

It now means Kibet will have some tough weeks of rigorous activity ahead if he is to beat the Olympic mark before June 30.

Certainly, the company of a father figure like Joshua Cheptegei in training at the Global Sports Communication camp in Kapchorwa will be vital.

Their other training partner Peruth Chemutai seemed comfortable in the first-half of the women’s 3000m steeplechase and even followed eventual winner Kenyan Beatrice Chepkoech toe-to-toe, only to post 9:15.46 in second place.

Reigning Olympic champion Chemutai and world record holder Chepkoech had pretty fast starts while following the wave light time of 8:55.40 set by the latter in Xiamen.

However, the duo seemed to burn out over the last 1000m, even they were significantly ahead of the rest of the pack, Chepkoech winning in 9:07.36. Chemutai was faster in Xiamen too, with 9:12.99 in third place.

In the women’s 5000m race, Sarah Chelangat posted a season best time of 14:54.15 in 12th place and the field had been ignited by pacer Winnie Nanyondo who took them through the first kilometer in 2:54.18.

WANDA DIAMOND LEAGUE

SHANGHAI/SUZHOU LEG - RESULTS

WOMEN’S 5000M

1 Alemeshete Mekedes (ETH)            14:36.70

2 Dagnachew Ayal (ETH)                  14:36.86

12 Sarah Chelangat (UGA)                14:54.15

DNF Winnie Nanyondo (UGA)         PACER

WOMEN’S 3000M STEEPLECHASE

1 Beatrice Chepkoech (KEN)             9:07.36

2 Peruth Chemutai (UGA)                  9:15.46

MEN’S 5000M

1 Selemon Barega (ETH)                    12:55.68

2 Biniam Mehary (ETH)                     12:56.37

14 Dan Kibet (UGA)                          13:31.64