The look on Nicholas Kimeli’s face (photo above) said it all. Jacob Kiplimo can only be a human running machine!
For the second final in a row, Uganda’s Kiplimo stepped on the pedal in the final 100 meters to win gold and deny Kenyans glory at the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham.
The Kenyans must already be tired of seeing him.
A few days after the 21-year-old Ugandan showed Daniel Ebenyo and Kibiwott Kandie a clean pair of heels in the 10,000m final, he did it again Saturday night when Kenyan opposition was the final challenge in the run to gold.
After a close 12 laps, Jacob Krop and Kimeli charged on the inside lane in the final 200meters and seemed to have found a solution to the Ugandans – but did not know what was behind them.
Kiplimo sprinted past them with 30 meters to go and held on to victory in 13:8:08 for a historic Ugandan double.
Having earlier won the 10,000m gold, he now becomes the third Ugandan to complete a double (5000m and 10000m) at the Commonwealth Games after Joshua Cheptegei (2018 Gold Coast) and Moses Kipsiro (2010 Delhi).
In total, Uganda has registered five medals, three of these are gold and two bronze.
“It was a wonderful performance for me,” said Kiplimo. “I have two (gold medals) and I’m so happy about it.
In Cali, Colombia, Uganda won her first and only medal, a bronze, courtesy of Prisca Chesang in the 5000m final.
Meanwhile, before his race, middle distances runner Halima Nakaayi fell to a strong field and finished last in the women’s 800-meter final. She posted 2:01.17 while the race winner Mary Moraa from Kenya posted 1:57.07.
Boxing
Earlier, female boxer Teddy Nakimuli ended Uganda’s boxing journey at the games when she lost to Northern Ireland’s Carly Mc Naul by unanimous decision 5-0 over the light-flyweight category.
Mc Naul bossed the opening two rounds against Nakimuli who was having her first fight of the Games at the semi-final stage, although Nakimuli improved in the final round to make it a contest, she was not good enough to match Naul and thus lost the bout.
The 20-year-old will now leave the games in style having bagged a bronze medal with just one fight which resulted in a loss. Earlier she earned a bye in the quarter-final after her opponent failed to make weight.
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Additional reporting URN