As Kenyans gear up for the upcoming Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, a number of Kenyan runners were in sensational form at the 2016 Herculis Diamond League meet in Monaco.

Conseslus Kipruto affirms favourite status in 3000m steeplechase

In form steeplechaser Consesulus Kipruto won the 3000m steeplechase as expected. And as expected, Kenyans commanded the top three positions in this event that Kenya has made its own.

Kipruto who is the current world junior champion, was in the lead for most of the last lap. With 200 metres to go, the evergreen Paul Kipsiele Koech challenged Kipruto and they went neck and neck at the water jump. However with 50 metres to go Kiruto eased away to win.

For Kipsiele Koech, it is his 14th season as a professional racer and he has managed to dip under 8:10 in all 14 seasons which is an amazing feat.

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Asbel Kiprop in shock defeat as Kwemoi triumphs

The men’s 1500m was a strong field that included Mo Farah who has run 3:28 at this distance as well as Olympic champion Tareq Makhloufi of Algeria, Abdi Iguider of Morocco and Kenyans Kiprop, Kwemoi and Manangoi. Conspicuously missing of late is Djiboutian Ayanleh Souleiman who has been a stalwart at this distance over the past two years but whose coach Jama Aden was recently caught in a doping sting.

Kiprop trailed the pacers closely until the final lap bell when he tripped over Abdi Iguider. From that point on Kiprop lost his mojo and appeared listless. Iguider led until the last 100m when Kwemoi made his move to take the lead. Elijah Manangoi once again finished strong but left his kick really late. He finished second.

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Kipketer continues his rise in the 800m

Twenty year old Alfred Kipketer, who surprised many when he won the Kenyan Olympic trials that were held in Eldoret, continued with his meteric rise to the top. He won the race but barely

Kipketer trailed the pace maker Bram Som and continued to push the pace after Som dropped out. At the final bend, he held off Jonathan Kitilit who then faded away. With fifty meters to go, Polish runner Adam Kszcot who won the silver medal at the world championships in 2015, made a  strong move and almost passed Kipketer who won by two hundredths of a second.

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Hellen Obiri impressive in the 3000m

Hellen Obiri, who took the 2015 season off to have a child, has returned to her top form. Obiri who will run the 5000m in Rio, won the 3000m here in impressive fashion. With 2 laps to go, the Kenyan trio of Obiri, Mercy Cherono and Janet Kisa were over 30 metres ahead of the rest of the field. They continued to push the pace and open up the gap with the rest of the field. At the back straight Obiri turned on the after burners and Cherono had no response. Obiri went on to win by a signficant margin

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Eunice Sum finished third in the women’s 800m finishing behind Caster Semenya and Francine Niyonsaba. Wambui Nyairera of Kenya who had finished third, was disqualified.