Kibet opens Kenya's medal account at World Indoor Championships
From left: USA athlete Bryce Hoppel, Spain's Mariano Garcia and Kenya's Noah Kibet celebrate at the end of the men's 800 metres final during The World Athletics Indoor Championships 2022 at the Stark Arena, in Belgrade, on March 19, 2022.
What you need to know:
- The 17-year-old rising star, a bronze medallist at last year’s World Under-20 Championships at Kasarani, ran a mature race to dip just behind Spain’s flamboyant gold medallist Mariano Garcia with USA’s Bryce Hoppel taking bronze
- Garcia ran a strong final lap to hold off Kibet and win in one minute, 46.20 seconds with Kibet, who has an outdoor personal best time of 1:44.88, digging in for silver in 1:46.35 and Hoppel taking bronze in 1:46.51
- Kibet said he’s now on the table of men and will challenge for a slot at the outdoor World Championships in Eugene, USA, in July
In Belgrade
Young Noah Kibet withstood a hugely expectant nation’s pressure and spared Kenya the blushes, bagging a silver medal in the 800 metres on the penultimate night of the World Indoor Championships here on Saturday night.
The 17-year-old rising star, a bronze medallist at last year’s World Under-20 Championships at Kasarani, ran a mature race to dip just behind Spain’s flamboyant gold medallist Mariano Garcia with USA’s Bryce Hoppel taking bronze.
Spain’s Mariano Garcia (right) reacts as he crosses the finish line to win the men's 800 metres final ahead of Kenya’s silver medallist Noah Kibet (second right) during the World Athletics Indoor Championships 2022 at the Stark Arena, in Belgrade, on March 19, 2022.
Garcia ran a strong final lap to hold off Kibet and win in one minute, 46.20 seconds with Kibet, who has an outdoor personal best time of 1:44.88, digging in for silver in 1:46.35 and Hoppel taking bronze in 1:46.51.
Kibet felt the pressure after sprinter Ferdinand Omanyala failed to make the 60m final less than one hour earlier, knowing he had to do something spectacular to improve on the single bronze that Kenya panned from the 2018 championships in Birmingham.
“I was under a lot of pressure…. Athletics Kenya President Jackson Tuwei had a meeting with us at our hotel last night and told us that we must either retain the bronze from the last championships or improve on it.
“I assured him I would get a medal and here it is!”
Kibet said he’s now on the table of men and will challenge for a slot at the outdoor World Championships in Eugene, USA, in July.
“I’ve gained good experience and now I’m on the table with wazee,” he said. “I will build on this experience and be ready for the trials for Eugene.”
Spain's Mariano Garcia celebrates at the end of the men's 800 metres final during The World Athletics Indoor Championships 2022 at the Stark Arena, in Belgrade, on March 19, 2022.
Kenya bagged just one medal – a bronze through Betwell Birgen in the 3,000m – at the last World Indoor Championships in Birmingham, England, in 2018.
