2009 World Championships in Athletics – Men's 3000 metres steeplechase

The Men's 3.000 metres Steeplechase at the 2009 World Championships in Athletics was held at the Olympic Stadium in Berlin, Germany, on August 16 and August 18, 2009. Keeping in line with previous major championships success, the four-man Kenyan team entered for the event contained a number of race favourites.[1]

The Kenyans were led by the reigning World and Olympic champion Brimin Kipruto, followed by 2004 Olympic champion and world-leader Ezekiel Kemboi, and finally Olympic medallists Paul Kipsiele Koech and Richard Mateelong. Two French athletes offered the strongest possibility of beating the Kenyans, with Olympic silver medallist Mahiedine Mekhissi-Benabbad and European record holder Bouabdellah Tahri. Other possible medallists were the in-form Moroccan Jamel Chatbi and the European Champion Jukka Keskisalo.[1]

After Mekhissi-Benabbad pulled up due to injury in the heats, the chance of a Kenyan podium sweep increased.[2] All three heats were won by a Kenyan athlete, and Kenyan-born Tareq Mubarak Taher, who now competes for Bahrain, was the fastest non-Kenyan qualifier.[3] Chatbi, who had finished second in his heat, became the first athlete of the championships to test positive for banned substances. His "A" sample showed traces of clenbuterol and he was withdrawn from the final.[4]

In the final, South African Ruben Ramolefi lead early on, but he was soon overtaken by Koech and Kemboi. Around the halfway mark, a group of five athletes were leading the field: the four Kenyan runners and Frenchman Tahri. Defending champion Kipruto was the only one to fall away from the leading pack and Koech, Kemboi, Mateelong were the first to reach the home stretch. In a close finish, Kemboi won in 8:00.43, and Mateelong took the silver. Tahri made a strong run to the line to upset the Kenyan's podium sweep hopes, beating Koech to the bronze and setting a new European record in the process. The top four runners had all beaten Moses Kiptanui's fourteen-year-old Championship record in what was the fastest ever steeplechase race at the World Championships.[5]

Medalists edit

Gold Silver Bronze
Ezekiel Kemboi
  Kenya (KEN)
Richard Kipkemboi Mateelong
  Kenya (KEN)
Bouabdellah Tahri
  France (FRA)

Records edit

Prior to the competition, the following records were as follows.

World record   Saif Saaeed Shaheen (QAT) 7:53.63 Brussels, Belgium 3 September 2004
Championship record   Moses Kiptanui (KEN) 8:04.16 Gothenburg, Sweden 11 August 1995
World leading   Ezekiel Kemboi (KEN) 7:58.85 Doha, Qatar 8 May 2009
African record   Brahim Boulami (MAR) 7:55.28 Brussels, Belgium 24 August 2001
Asian record   Saif Saaeed Shaheen (QAT) 7:53.63 Brussels, Belgium 3 September 2004
North American record   Daniel Lincoln (USA) 8:08.82 Rome, Italy 14 July 2006
South American record   Wander do Prado Moura (BRA) 8:14.41 Mar del Plata, Argentina 22 March 1995
European record   Bouabdellah Tahri (FRA) 8:02.19 Metz, France 3 July 2009
Oceanian record   Peter Renner (NZL) 8:14.05 Koblenz, Switzerland 29 August 1984

Qualification standards edit

A time B time
8:23.00 8:33.50

Schedule edit

Date Time Round
August 16, 2009 11:00 Heats
August 18, 2009 19:50 Final

Results edit

Heats edit

Qualification: First 4 in each heat(Q) and the next 3 fastest(q) advance to the final.

Rank Heat Name Nationality Time Notes
1 1 Richard Mateelong   Kenya (KEN) 8:17.99 Q
2 2 Brimin Kipruto   Kenya (KEN) 8:18.07 Q
3 1 Tareq Mubarak Taher   Bahrain (BHR) 8:18.13 Q
4 1 Paul Kipsiele Koech   Kenya (KEN) 8:18.16 Q
5 1 Roba Gary   Ethiopia (ETH) 8:18.22 Q
6 2 Bouabdellah Tahri   France (FRA) 8:18.23 Q
7 2 Ruben Ramolefi   South Africa (RSA) 8:18.24 Q
8 2 Benjamin Kiplagat   Uganda (UGA) 8:18.55 Q
9 1 Abubaker Ali Kamal   Qatar (QAT) 8:18.95 q, SB
10 3 Ezekiel Kemboi   Kenya (KEN) 8:19.36 Q
11 3 Yacob Jarso   Ethiopia (ETH) 8:20.91 Q
12 2 Jukka Keskisalo   Finland (FIN) 8:22.00 q
13 2 Mustafa Mohamed   Sweden (SWE) 8:22.92 q
14 2 José Luis Blanco   Spain (ESP) 8:24.07
15 2 Krijn van Koolwijk   Belgium (BEL) 8:24.22 SB
16 3 Eliseo Martín   Spain (ESP) 8:24.29 Q
17 1 Abdelatif Chemlal   Morocco (MAR) 8:25.68
18 3 Ion Luchianov   Moldova (MDA) 8:27.41
19 1 Tomasz Szymkowiak   Poland (POL) 8:27.93
20 3 Bjørnar Ustad Kristensen   Norway (NOR) 8:28.49 SB
21 1 Mario Bazán   Peru (PER) 8:28.67 NR
22 1 Pieter Desmet   Belgium (BEL) 8:31.81
23 2 Ildar Minshin   Russia (RUS) 8:33.89
24 3 Steffen Uliczka   Germany (GER) 8:37.83
25 3 Simon Ayeko   Uganda (UGA) 8:37.86
26 3 Yoshitaka Iwamizu   Japan (JPN) 8:39.03
27 3 Boštjan Buč   Slovenia (SLO) 8:40.56
28 1 Vincent Zouaoui-Dandrieaux   France (FRA) 8:41.85
29 3 Alberto Paulo   Portugal (POR) 8:43.13
30 2 Rob Watson   Canada (CAN) 8:44.73
31 1 Per Jacobsen   Sweden (SWE) 8:44.80
32 3 Daniel Huling   United States (USA) 8:46.79
33 1 Ángel Mullera   Spain (ESP) 8:47.40
34 2 Youcef Abdi   Australia (AUS) 8:49.88
35 2 Legese Lamiso   Ethiopia (ETH) 8:51.63
36 2 Joshua McAdams   United States (USA) 9:02.19
1 Kyle Alcorn   United States (USA) DNF
3 Mahiedine Mekhissi-Benabbad   France (FRA) DNF
DSQ 3 Jamel Chatbi   Morocco (MAR) 8:20.26 Q[6]

Key: DNF = Did not finish, NR = National record, Q = qualification by place in heat, q = qualification by overall place, SB = Seasonal best

DSQ - Disqualified (Chatbi disqualified due to violation of anti-doping rules)

Final edit

 
Kenyan athletes led for much of the race
Rank Name Nationality Time Notes
  Ezekiel Kemboi   Kenya (KEN) 8:00.43 CR
  Richard Kipkemboi Mateelong   Kenya (KEN) 8:00.89 PB
  Bouabdellah Tahri   France (FRA) 8:01.18 AR
4 Paul Kipsiele Koech   Kenya (KEN) 8:01.26 SB
5 Yacob Jarso   Ethiopia (ETH) 8:12.13 PB
6 Roba Gary   Ethiopia (ETH) 8:12.40
7 Brimin Kiprop Kipruto   Kenya (KEN) 8:12.61
8 Jukka Keskisalo   Finland (FIN) 8:14.47
9 Eliseo Martín   Spain (ESP) 8:16.51 SB
10 Tareq Mubarak Taher   Bahrain (BHR) 8:17.08
11 Benjamin Kiplagat   Uganda (UGA) 8:17.82
12 Abubaker Ali Kamal   Qatar (QAT) 8:19.72
13 Ruben Ramolefi   South Africa (RSA) 8:32.54
14 Mustafa Mohamed   Sweden (SWE) 8:35.77
Jamel Chatbi   Morocco (MAR) DNS[6]

Key: AR = Area record, CR = Championship record, DNS = Did not start, PB = Personal best, SB = Seasonal best

References edit

General
Specific
  1. ^ a b Ramsak, Bob (2009-08-09). Men's 3000m Steeplechase - PREVIEW Archived 2009-08-13 at the Wayback Machine. IAAF. Retrieved on 2009-08-17.
  2. ^ Berlin 2009: European wrap on Day 2 [permanent dead link]. European Athletics (2009-08-16). Retrieved on 2009-08-17.
  3. ^ Ramsak, Bob (2009-08-16). Event Report - Men's 3000m Steeplechase - Heats Archived 2012-03-25 at the Wayback Machine. IAAF. Retrieved on 2009-08-17.
  4. ^ World Athletics: Jamel Chatbi fails drugs test. The Daily Telegraph (2009-08-18). Retrieved on 2009-08-18.
  5. ^ Ramsak, Bob (2009-08-18). Event Report - Men's 3000m Steeplechase - Final Archived 2009-08-21 at the Wayback Machine. IAAF. Retrieved on 2009-08-22.
  6. ^ a b Athlete removed from competition for a positive drug test.