Kenya’s Edmund Serem led his compatriot Matthew Kosgei in winning gold and silver in 3,000m steeplechase on the last day of the World Athletics Under 20 championships at the Estadio Atlético de la Videna here in Lima, Peru
Serem, who won silver beating Kosgei to bronze at the Africa Athletics championships, improved to gold and Kosgei moving to silver as the junior events came to an end on Saturday evening.
Coming from a running family led by his brother Amos Serem, the winner of the water and barriers event in 2021 in Nairobi, maintained the family legacy when he clocked 8:15.28 for gold with compatriot Kosgei, whose father (William Kosgei) was also a runner in the 1986 team timed 8:17.46 for silver as personal best and Ethiopia’s Hailu Ayalew settled for bronze with a personal best of 8:24.08.
As team captain, Serem said that it is a dream come true winning a gold in a championship as he was full of praise for his coaches both back in Kenya and Peru like Patrick Sang, Robert Ngisirei, Bernard Rono, Peter Sang among others.
“As a team leader I had to show the way despite the event coming in the last day. The team did well and as the games come to the end, we have a reason to work hard and focus on the 2028 Olympic Games,” said Serem.
As a family, he said that they should be nicknamed “a steeplechase home’ “We can now be named as a steeplechase family and I’m so happy because the results came due to pure hard work and being focused for the prize. My father has been motivating me so much to follow in the footsteps of my brother Amos who won gold in the 2021 games,” said Serem.
Kosgei attributed the win to the support he gets from both his father and mother who were athletes in their hey days.
“I am so happy to have bagged silver due to stiff competition that was witnessed in the race. I really appreciate my friend Serem for encouraging me to hang on and I have to continue training for the next assignments because I have finished the junior event. I know my father is a happy man because he asked me to work hard and I have delivered,” said Kosgei.
In the last event for Kenya, Josphat Kipkirui managed to finish in 4th position at 3:43.20 where Ethiopian Abdisa Fayisa won the race at 3:40.51 ahead of Australian Cameron Myers (3:40.60) and Spaniard Alex Pintado settling for bronze in 3:41.03.
Earlier in the day, Mary Nyaboke Ogwoka and Miriam Chemutai Kibet finished the 1,500m race in 10th and 14th respectively at 4:22.60 and 4:26.80 where Ethiopia’s Saron Berhe (4:14.64) won gold with silver and bronze going to Canadian Rachel Forsyth (4:17.94) and Germany’s Jolanda Kallabis (4:19.34) respectively.
