What Joshua Cheptegei can do, Jacob Kiplimo will strive to emulate.
Ugandan 19-year-old former junior world champion Kiplimo on Tuesday showed he will be the man World record holder Cheptegei keeps and eye on, after he pulled off a stunning come-from behind 5000m win at the Golden Spike meet in Ostrava.
As Ethiopian World Championship silver medalist Selemon Barega mounted an assault on Stephen Cherono’s meet record of 12:48.81, Kiplimo had other ideas, stunning him in the last 400m to set a new personal best and meet record of 12:48.63. Barega came second in 12:49.08.
Kiplimo has been out of action due to injury in the past year, but his comeback time is the second fastest this year in the 5000m after Cheptegei’s 12:35.36 last month, indicating some interesting races in the distance await the world from the two Ugandans.
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The 20-year-old Barega, the 5th-fastest man in history (12:43.02 pb), gave it his all, and set the pace but with four laps to the end, Kiplimo emerged among the race leaders.
“Kiplimo kept the pressure on and with two laps remaining he went to the lead. Barega responded and stayed right behind him until the finishing stretch. Coming off the final turn, Barega moved wide to try to pass Kiplimo and fans got to witness a fantastic finish,” is how Lets Run described the race, adding that, ” Barega pulled almost dead even with Kiplimo but in the end Kiplimo got the win in a massive pb of 12:48.63, which also was a meet record.”