The Independent Uganda: You get the Truth we Pay the Price
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil | AFP |
The Rio Olympic Games men’s 3,000m steeplechase final will be a race to forget for East Africans Jacob Araptany and Ezekiel Kemboi.
Araptany looked comfortable in the leading pack when he slipped as he approached a hurdle as the race entered the finals laps.
Video footage from the incident was not clear if his leg was clipped seconds before he fell.
Right behind him were was Kemboi and Kiprop Kipruto. Kemboi won bronze, but was later disqualified for stepping off the track, promoting France’s Mahiedine Mekhissi to bronze.
Kemboi was the reigning two-time Olympic champion and originally finished third in Wednesday’s race won by his compatriot Conseslus Kipruto.
Mekhissi finished fourth but appealed against Kemboi’s action, resulting in the disqualification and his own promotion.
“A protest was presented by the French team after the 3000m steeplechase men final against Kenyan athlete Ezekiel Kemboi … claiming he had stepped off the track,” said an IAAF statement.
An appeal jury “met and examined the video of the race, confirming that Kemboi, after clearing a water jump, had stepped outside the track on the curved part before the home straight.”
Under race rules, runners cannot step off the inside edge of the track when running around bends.
******
Uganda’s Jacob Araptany had one nasty fall in the 3,000m steeplechase final #athletics #Rio2016 pic.twitter.com/INbrbfx2rT
— Alex Terrell (@alxterrell) August 17, 2016
Ouch! Runner hits head on barrier, knocking him out of the race https://t.co/FJj8PRcyrR pic.twitter.com/CcKMNny0IT
— NBC New York (@NBCNewYork) August 17, 2016
| POS | BIB | ATHLETE | COUNTRY | MARK | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2684 | Conseslus KIPRUTO |  KEN |
8:03.28 | OR |
| 2 | 3076 | Evan JAGER |  USA |
8:04.28 | SB |
| 3 | 2430 | Mahiedine MEKHISSI |  FRA |
8:11.52 | SB |
| 4 | 2740 | Soufiane ELBAKKALI |  MAR |
8:14.35 | PB |
| 5 | 2425 | Yoann KOWAL | FRA |
8:16.75 | SB |
| 6 | 2683 | Brimin Kiprop KIPRUTO | KEN |
8:18.79 | SB |
| 7 | 3052 | Hillary BOR | USA |
8:22.74 | PB |
| 8 | 3055 | Donald CABRAL | USA |
8:25.81 | |
| 9 | 2130 | Altobeli DA SILVA |  BRA |
8:26.30 | PB |
| 10 | 2200 | Matthew HUGHES |  CAN |
8:36.83 | |
| 11 | 2340 | Yemane HAILESELASSIE |  ERI |
8:40.68 | |
| 2678 | Ezekiel KEMBOI | KEN |
DQ R 163.3b | ||
| 2990 | Amor BEN YAHIA |  TUN |
DQ R 163.3b | ||
| 3014 | Jacob ARAPTANY |  UGA |
DNF | ||
| 2743 | Hamid EZZINE | MAR |
DNF |
