by Larry Eder
James Magut, World Relays 2014, photo by PhotoRun.net
James Magut took the gold medal from Ronald Kwemoi in the final 50 meters. Finishing even faster, Nick Willis extricated himself from a bit of a box and took off with 120 meters to go, catching Johan Cronje at the finish line for the bronze. Here is how Justin Lagat put the Kenyan medals in perspective.
A gold and a silver medal for Kenyans Glasgow men’s 1500m, by Justin Lagat
James Magut has moved up a step better from the last silver medal position he had placed at the 2010 Commonwealth Games in New Delhi to win a gold medal here in Glasgow. He led another Kenyan, Ronald Kwemoi to a 1-2 finish by Kenyans on the podium of the men’s 1500m race. Nick Willis of New Zealand narrowly edged a South African Athlete to take the bronze position.
The first four finishes in this race were very close as all of them fell within one third of a second. Magut ran 3:39.31, Kwemoi 3:39.53, Willis 3:39.60 while South Africa’s Johan Cronje ran 3:39.65. It is as though Kenyans were lucky indeed to have ended up on the first positions in such a finish.
Even in the absence of Asbel Kiprop and Silas Kiplagat who currently lead at the IAAF Diamond League points and have the fastest times this year in the event, the Kenyans who were selected to represent the country in this event did not disappoint. All the three of them were at the front as they went for the final lap, but the rest of the field were all still there just behind them after the early stages of the race had been relatively slow.
Ronald Kwemoi, fastest junior in the world (3:28.81),
photo by PhotoRun.net
With about 200m to go, one Kenyan dropped as Ronald Kwemoi increased the pace at the front followed by South Africa’s Cronje. From behind, James Magut and Nick Willis were running strongly trying to get to the front. Magut was able to overtake his countryman in the last 50 meters to win the gold medal as the latter settled for the silver medal, while Willis moved from about the eighth position at the last 150m to finish in third place.
Although he has not featured much at the Diamond League races this year, Magut was part of the 4x1500m Kenyan team that set a new world record at the World Relays in Bahamas this year. Other athletes in that team were Silas Kiplagat, Asbel Kiprop and Collins Cheboi.
Eighteen year old Ronald Kwemoi ran a world junior record time of 3:28.81 last month at the IAAF Monaco Diamond league and was the athlete with the fastest personal best time at the Hampden Park Stadium. He has five Diamond League points, which is only two points behind Asbel Kiprop and Ayanleh Souleiman who are tied in second position.
Nick Willis who followed Kwemoi here to take the bronze medal also follows him at the diamond League points having two points. But he came here with more experience at the Commonwealth Games championship races having won a gold medal at the 2006 Melbourne Games and a bronze medal at the 2010 Delhi Games.
Nick Willis, took his third consecutive medal in consecutive CGs!
photo by PhotoRun.net
James Magut’s gold medal summed up Kenya’s total track gold medals at the Games to 9 before Julius Yego added one more from the field events and made it 10 putting the country ahead of the rest in athletics.
Each and every gold medal was important for Kenya to beat the Jamaican team who also accumulated 10 gold medals in athletics, but Kenya remained on top due to the greater number of silver and b
ronze medals they had against the Jamaicans.
ronze medals they had against the Jamaicans.
