Kiprop finally breaks his duck in Oslo, Birech continues fine form

Asbel Kiprop finally broke his duck this season with his fourth victory in the Dream Mile (1,500m) at the Oslo Diamond League as Jairus Birech claimed a double in men’s 3,000m steeplechase on Thursday night.

Birech followed up his victory in his specialty in Shanghai last month with victory in Norway on Thursday, but Kiprop eased to his first win in the Diamond League Series.

Commonwealth 1,500m champion Faith Chepng’etich who is also a former World junior champion made a return to her specialty with a second place-finish as Viola Kibiwott again lost women’s 5,000m battle to Ethiopian Genzebe Dibaba.

Kiprop atoned for his defeat in 800m in Doha and Bowerman Mile at the Prefontaine Class when brought the 50th edition of the Exxon Mobil Bislett Games to a bright conclusion.

Kiprop, the 2011 and 2013 World 1,500m champion, eased home in 3min,51.45sec, beating the Shanghai Diamond League 1,500m winner and compatriot Silas Kiplagat to second place in 3:51.72 as Belgian Pieter-Jan Hannes settled third in 3:51.84.

Ayanleh Souleiman (Djibouti), the winner in Doha and Prefontaine Classic, was fourth in 3:52.69, followed by World junior 1,500m record holder Ronald Kwemoi (Kenya), who is also the Commonwealth 1,500m silver medallist in 3:53.07. “It feels like home here,” said 2008 Olympic champion Kiprop. “It was my fourth time here and my fourth win, which is excellent for me.

“I knew Souleiman asked for a very fast pace, but for the rest it was too fast and going into the last lap we were nearly all together. At that time I was thinking there is a good chance I can win again at Bislett.”

Souleiman went with the pacing pair and then attempted to put some distance between him and the rest of the field, getting 20 metres clear.

But by the bell, Kiplagat had towed the opposition back to his shoulder, and the Djiboutian athlete was eventually passed by three men in the final straight.

The expected battle between Kenya’s old and new masters of the 3000m steeplechase Ezekiel Kemboi and Birech respectively, who won in Shanghai, never came to pass.

It’s Birech, the 2014 Series winner, who ruled in 8:05.63, beating the 2013 World silver medallist Conselsus Kipruto to second in 8:11.92 as the 2010 and 2011 Series winner, Paul Kipsiele Koech came home third in 8:12.20.

Kemboi, the Olympic and World champion who won at Prefontaine Classic, clocked 8:30.07 to struggle home in a distant 10th place. Cheopng’etich, who is a Kenyan record holder with best of 3:56.98, made wrong judgment to let Briton Laura Muir open the gap at the bell. Muir wenmt on to win in 4:00.39 as Chepng’etoch came second in 4:00.94.