Steeplechase (3,000 metres), Men

Which Kenyan would it be? That had become the question in the Olympic steeplechase, with Kenyans having won the last seven gold medals, 9 of the last 11, and taking 15 of the last 21 available medals, sweeping the event in 1992 and 2004. They had only failed to win in 1976 and 1980 when Kenya boycotted the Olympics, and Track & Field News was predicting another medal sweep. The Kenyan team included the 2004 gold medalist Ezekiel Kemboi, Abel Mutai, the 2012 African Champion, and Brimin Kipruto, the 2007 World Champion, and World runner-up in 2011, who was the favorite.

The final pace was slow early, with American Donn Cabral taking the lead after two laps. With three laps remaining Mutai moved to the lead and forced the pace, pulling Kemboi and Kipruto, and Ethiopian Roba Gari along with him. With just under two laps to go, Kipruto fell, and although he got up quickly he was now 20 metres behind the leaders, and never got back, eventually placing fifth. At the bell the lead group was Gari, Mutai, Kemboi, two-time European champion Mahiedine Mekhissi-Benabbad of France, and American Evan Jager. Kemboi took the lead at the start of the back straight, and Gari and Jager dropped off the leaders’ pace. Kemboi came off the water jump with a 10-metre lead and had secured his second gold medal in the event. Mekhissi-Benabbad passed Mutai in the final metres to win silver.

Kemboi’s victory made him only the second runner to win two golds in the steeplechase, after Finland’s Volmari Iso-Hollo, who had won in 1932 and 1936. Gari placed fourth as Ethiopia had still not won a medal in this event, except in the boycotted 1980 Olympics. Jager and Cabral gave the United States two surprising places in the top eight, with Jager sixth, and Cabral eighth.