Krop, Kipkurui make 5000m final as Kimeli and Kemboi exit in Budapest

World 5,000metres Jacob Krop and world cross country under-20 champion Ishmael Kipkurui are through to the men’s 5,000m final at the ongoing World Athletics Championships in Budapest, Hungary.

Krop, the Commonwealth Games 5,000m bronze medallist grabbed the seventh and eighth last qualifying places in the second heat semi-final to reach the final.

However, it was a disaster for Kenya in the first semi-final heat when Commonwealth Games 5,000m silver medallist Nicholas Kimeli and Cornelius Kemboi flopped.

Krop and Kipkurui returned identical 13 minutes and 22.63 seconds in a closely contested semi-final that was won by Luis Grijalva from Guatemala in 13:32.72.

The Guatemalan, who finished fourth over the distance last year in Oregon, edged out Ethiopian Yomif Kejelcha to second place in13:32.83.

It’s the 2022 world 1,500m bronze medallist Mohamed Katir from Spain, who put away the first semi-final in 13:35.90, edging out  Ethiopian Hagos Gebrhiwet, who won silver in 2013 Moscow and bronze in 2015 Beijing, to second in 13:36.15.

Defending champion Jakob Ingebrigtsen settled third in 13:36.21 to ease through to the final.

Kimeli, who many had been touted to reach the final and perhaps win a medal for Kenya by virtue of having won the Diamond League Trophy last year, found the going tough to finish a distant 14th in 13:40.43.

Kemboi sunk to 17th place in 13:44.32.

Krop and Kipkurui will be eying to recapture the 5,000m title for Kenya in the final scheduled for Sunday.

Benjamin Limo is the last Kenyan to win the title back in 2005.