NAIROBI, Kenya, August 25- World Youth Champion Rosefline Chepng’etich won Kenya’s second gold as Winfred Mbithe and Amos Kirui bagged silver to wrap up the country’s medal hunt at penultimate day of the second Youth Olympic Games in Nanjing, China on Monday.
Chepng’etich’s women 2000m steeplechase win comes a day after African Youth champion Gilbert Kwemoi brought home the first gold in the men’s 1500m as Kenya failed to improve on her 2010 outing after finishing behind arch rivals Ethiopia with six medals (2 gold, 2silver and 1 bronze) against eight (3 gold, 3 silver, 2 bronze) with both nations placed 15th and 24th on the overall all standings.
Both countries will not be involved in the final day programme when relays close the track and field programme.
Chepng’etich a world junior silver medalist could not beat her lifetime best of 6:20.10 she set at the semifinal after crossing the line in 6:22.67 to ahead of Ethiopian Teklemaream Zewdinesh who took silver in 6:26.02 while Hungary’s Toth Lili scooped bronze in 6:31.92.
In the men’s corresponding race, Kirui surrendered the title that was won by Peter Mutuku in 2010, to Ethiopian Sidamo Sebisibe (5:38.42) after recording 5:40.29 for silver while Moroccan Chemlal Hicham took bronze.
Mbithe failed to emulate Kwemoi to grab the women’s 1500m silver in 4:17.91 behind Ethiopian Alemu Tesfaye who won gold in 4:17.91 as Bahrain’s Gosa Dalila clinched bronze in her personal best of 4:18.36.
In the consolation race, Geoffrey Kipng’etich finished third in the men’s 400m hurdles after clocking 52.87 behind Cotto Serrano from Puerto Rico while Iranian Shooryabi Javad dominated the event.
Anthony Kiptoo was disqualified in the men’s 800m final B as Lithuanian Mickus Benediktas won the two lap race in 1:52.48 ahead of Romanian Gheban Madalin and Djibouti’s Aden Abdi.