Kenyans Edmund Serem and Mathew Kosgei celebrate after winning gold and silver in the men's 3,000m steeplechase at the World Athletics Under-20 Championships in Lima, Peru on September 1, 2024.
Freshly-minted World Athletics Under-20 Championships gold medallist in men’s 3,000 metres steeplechase, Edmond Serem, has dedicated his medal to his father, Joseph Serem, “because he supported me, and encouraged me and my elder brother to take up athletics from a very young age.”
On Sunday, Edmond Serem won gold medal in the 3,000m steeplechase race at the World Athletics Under-20 Championships in Lima, Peru on Sunday morning in eight minutes and 15.28 seconds ahead of his fellow countryman Mathew Kosgei who finished second in a personal best of 8:17.46, and third-placed Hailu Ayalew (8:24.08) from Ethiopia.
Afterwards, Edmond, who is younger brother of 2021 World Athletics Under-20 Championships 3,000m steeplechase gold medallist, Amos Serem, dedicated the gold medal to his father.
“This is for you, dad. You encouraged me to train and follow in the footsteps of my elder brother Amos at home in Uasin Gishu County,” he told Nation Sport on phone from Lima yesterday.
“As a young boy, my father made sure I and my brother Amos competed in the children’s category of Tuskys Cross Country Championships, just to familiarize ourselves with athletics. He also made sure we competed in Ndalat Gaa Isaiah Kiplagat Memorial Cross Country. He loved athletics and when we were old enough, he encouraged us to try the 3,000m steeplechase, and we fell in love with it,” the 16-year-old said.
He explained that he talks to his father on the phone before running any race, and his father has always urged him to go for nothing but the best.
Athletics runs in the family. Other than winning gold in 3,000m steeplechase at the 2021 World Athletics Under-20 Championships in Nairobi, Amos was also a finalist in the race at the 2024 Paris Olympic Games, finishing in 14th place.
Their father is a retired athlete, having represented Kenya in steeplechase at the 1989 IAAF World Junior Championships. Edmond started by competing in 5,000m races, but took up the steeplechase upon the advice of his father.
Silver medallist Matthew also heaped praises on his family for offering him support in his athletics journey. Both Edmond and Matthew competed at this year’s Africa Athletics Championships in Cameroon, winning silver and bronze respectively.
The curtain fell on the World Athletics Under-20 Championships yesterday, with Kenya winning a total of seven medals; three gold, three silver, and one bronze to finish fifth overall.
This is a big decline compared to the country’s performances in the last three editions since 2018. Kenya’s gold medallists from Lima are Andrew Kiptoo Alamisi (5,000m), Edmund Serem (3,000m steeplechase) and Sarah Moraa (800).
The silver medallists are Denis Kipkoech (3,000m), Mathew Kosgei (3,000m steeplechase), and Marion Jepngetich (3,000m). Diana Chepkemoi won bronze in women’s 3,000m steeplechase.
USA led with 16 medals; eight gold, four silver, and four bronze. Ethiopia finished second with 10 medals of six gold, two silver, and three bronze, while China was third with 11 medals of four gold, four silver, and three bronze.
At the 2018 edition of the championships held in Tampere, Finland, Kenya finished top of the world with 11 medals; six gold, four silver, and one bronze.
At the 2021 games in Nairobi, Kenya again finished top of the world with 16 medals; eight gold, one silver, and seven bronze. But Kenya finished fourth at the 2022 games in Cali, Colombia, with 10 medals; three gold, three silver, and four bronze.
Director for Youth and Development at Athletics Kenya, Barnaba Korir, said that the dynamics in athletics have changed in the recent past and pointed out that Kenyan youngsters did their best in the midst of many challenges.
“We might have enjoyed some of the fruits of what we started about four years ago, but the dynamics have changed a lot. It is a learning process for us as an office. I thank the government for supporting us to put the juniors in camps,” said Korir.
