Nairobi News

SportsWhat's Hot

Why Kemboi has rescinded retirement decision 24 hours later

August 18th, 2016 1 min read

Kenya’s men’s 3000m steeplechase maestro Ezekiel Kemboi has announced that he is coming out of retirement to battle for a medal at the IAAF World championships in August 2017.

Kemboi made the decision after he was stripped of his bronze medal, which he won on Wednesday afternoon in the ongoing Rio Olympic games.

“I had opted to retire right after the Olympics only if i had come home with this medal….now i feel that i have to bring back this medal not by protesting again but right on track. Kemboi is not retired i will be coming to London 2017 to re-claim my medal from France. No limits,” wrote Kemboi on his Facebook account.

PHOTO | COURTESY
PHOTO | COURTESY

LANE INFRINGEMENT

The two-time Olympic champion Kemboi late Wednesday lost his bronze medal for a lane infringement.

The decision, arrived at over six hours after the race, means Frenchman Mahiedine Mekhissi moved from fourth to bronze medal in the official standings.

Kemboi had finished third in the race won by his compatriot Conseslus Kipruto in a new Olympic time of 8:03:28 with American Evan Jager finishing second for silver.

According to AFP, Mekhissi finished fourth but appealed against Kemboi’s action, resulting in the disqualification and his own promotion.