Doha (AFP)
Kenyan Olympic champion and reigning world champion Kényan Conseslus Kipruto retained his 3000m steeple crown at the Doha World Athletics Championships on Friday, where Frenchman Djilali Bedrani outdid himself to finish fifth.
In 8 min 01 sec 35, Conseslus Kipruto, 24, broke the Ethiopian Lamecha Girma by one hundredth, catching up with him in the final meters (8: 01.36).
It's the world's best performance of the season, less than a second off its personal best, set in 2016, as Lamecha Girma breaks Ethiopia's national record.
Morocco's Soufiane el-Bakkali, silver medalist in London in 2017, took third place (8: 03.76), while Djilali Bedrani of France was fifth.
"I'm happy, I was happy to be there, in the final, which was my original goal," said Bedrani in the mixed zone "In my head I came to make a podium, I'm still 8:05. the future Tokyo Games are coming, and then the 2020 European Championships. "
Long stayed with the best, Bedrani dropped the race to the podium only 300 m from the goal, and finished in 8: 05.23, exploding his personal best (8: 09.47) set this year in Monaco.
The 26-year-old Toulousain thus becomes the 3rd best French performer of all time, behind triple Olympic medalist Mahiedine Mekhissi and world bronze medalist Bob Tahri.
© 2019 AFP