World U20 trials: Dream come true for Kipng’eno after bouncing back from defeat

The 19-year-old, who finished eighth in the 3,000m final, redeemed himself with a hard-fought win that earned him a ticket to represent Kenya at the global youthful fiesta set for August 5 to August 9 in Oregon, USA.

Kipng’eno, who clocked 13mins 41.18seconds in the 12.5 lap race, said the setback in Friday’s race became the motivation behind his triumph.

“I did not give up after placing eighth in the 3,000m final and, to some extent, I can say it gave me more energy to do better today,” he said.

He admitted that the quality of the field initially made him cautious. “Coming into the race, there was talk that many of the athletes on the start list were in top form, and that made me afraid of breaking away too early,” he added.

The former Keringet Secondary School student will now don the Kenyan national colours for the first time in his athletics career.

“My dream has always been to run for my country, and I have finally achieved it,” he said.

Andrew Kiptoo finished second to complete the list of athletes who will represent Kenya in the 5,000m race at the global championships.

Coached by Willy Lang’at, Kipng’eno said he will now focus on improving his endurance and speed as he targets gold for Kenya at the championships scheduled for August 5–9.

The youngster currently trains in Japan under Graftia Management.