American media personality Paris Hilton – granddaughter of Hilton Hotels franchise Conrad Hilton – was named after the famous city.
Paris is a gender-neutral name loved by many, perhaps because of the romantic allure of the “City of Lights.”

Angel Keyla Chemutai Biwot was born six days before Wednesday night’s men’s steeplechase final in which her father, 10th at the Tokyo Olympics, pushed on to the podium, winning the bronze behind Morocco’s gold medallist Soufiane El Bakkali and USA’s shock package, Kenneth Rooks.

Kibiwot, 28, has two sons and travelled to Paris just as his first daughter was about to show up. 

“I dedicate this gold medal to my daughter… It’s six days since she was born… perhaps I will consider adding her the name ‘Paris”, Kibiwot, a policeman and also bronze medallist at last year’s World Athletics Championships in Budapest joked in the media zone after the dramatic race that saw Ethiopia’s pre-race favourite Lamecha Girma taken to hospital after a bad fall with 200 metres to go.

After winning the 5,000m gold, outpacing Ethiopia’s Sileshi Sihine and Aussie Craig Mottram for Kenya’s only gold medal at Finland’s 2005 Helsinki World Championships, Benjamin Limo named his newborn son Helsinki, and Kibiwot could be reading from the same script…

Wednesday night’s final at the Stade de France was a game of wait-and-see as the lead pack remained huddled in the last lap.

At the final barrier before the water-jump, Lamecha, who is the steeplechase world record holder, surged forward but mistimed his attack on the barrier, falling head-first on the synthetic track and remaining motionless as other athletes jumped over him chasing the gold.

El Bakkali was tucked behind in seventh place at 2,000m, his time at 5:50.05, before pushing the pace in the last 800 metres to win with a season’s best eight minutes, 6.05 seconds.

American Rooks, who had gone for the jugular after Lamecha’s fall, hang on for silver in 8:06.41, warding off the late challenge by Kibiwot (8:06.47).

Strong in the last 400 metres

“I’m very happy today… I never thought I could be an Olympic bronze medalist… I’m grateful to the federation, coaches, my family, manager, fellow athletes and people who have supported me,” Kibiwot said adding that in hindsight, he should have listened to teammate Simon Koech (seventh in 8:09.26) to kick earlier.

“In the last 400 metres, I was looking out for El Bakkali and Girma because I knew they were strong in the last 400 metres. I did my calculations but relaxed in the last 200 metres and the American took off… I didn’t expect it. My mind was focused on El Bakkali and Girma and I stayed with them all the way.

“I should have kicked from 300 or 200 metres out. The pace was good… We were talking as we went along and Koech was telling me we go, but I told him we relax and wait for the two (Girma and El Bakkali) – in hindsight, we should have kicked early.”

Kibiwot, who shares the same alma mater – Nandi County’s Kosirai High School - with 2016 Olympic steeplechase champion Conseslus Kipruto, appealed to Athletics Kenya (AK) to change tack in steeplechase training and preparation.

“The wait (for an Olympic steeplechase gold) continues, but I’m sure we shall get back the gold. My appeal is to the Kenyan federation to allow us to train together longer, then we shall get there,” he implored AK.

El Bakkali, Rooks and Kibiwot wished Lamecha well with the Ethiopian athlete’s management announcing that he was out of danger.
“After a full medical examination during the night, it has been confirmed that @lemechagirmaa doesn’t suffer from any major head injury.

He will undergo further leg scans to check his leg before being allowed to leave hospital,” the Ethiopian’s Elite Running Team management said.

“We really regret he fell. Of course this is something which happens sometimes but it is unfortunate. The competition was noble, there was respect among all athletes and I do believe everything went well, and in the end I was able to win. I hope the Ethiopian athlete will recover very fast,” El Bakkali remarked. 

Delayed medical response

Sentiments silver medallist Rooks complimented: “I didn’t know how bad his fall was. I actually didn’t know who fell until after the race. I’ll just keep him in my prayers,” he said.

Meanwhile, one fan who watched Lamecha’s fall closely expressed concerns over the delayed medical response that exposed the Ethiopian world record holder to great risk.

Her vivid account on the incident ‘X’:

“I was at the stadium by this hurdle when @LamechaGirma fell. What I saw tonight felt inhumane. Nobody helped.

“Athletes jumped over his still body, his still body with a head that was clearly a wrong angle to the rest of his body - it was clear something was very wrong.

“Nobody came to help him. He just lay there. Then he started to have a seizure. We screamed at the security to help him. They tried  but  didn't know what to do. Eventually medics came - they seemed inexperienced.

“They very clumsily got Lamecha onto the stretcher- at this stage I started to cry as I wasn't sure he should be moved that way given his injury. 

“Lamecha's arms flopped outside the stretcher and they medics seemed to struggle to keep him together to move him. Meantime.. the race continued.

“People who didn't know what happened were cheering whilst it appeared a man had potentially lost his life on the track. The officials didn't stop anything. There were no senior medics it appeared on hand for this type of injury. 

“The length of time Lamecha lay on the track without any appropriate medical help will forever remain with me. 

“@Olympics - you must ensure you have the appropriate level of care for track and field athletes. You must respond in the appropriate amount of time to serious injuries. What I saw this evening will never leave me. I pray that @LamechaGima makes a full recovery and I wish him well.”