Paul Kipsiele Koech led a Kenyan sweep of the 3,000 metres Steeplechase winning in a time of 8 minutes 02.18 seconds in the Samsung Diamond League in Stockholm Sweden.

The 28-year-old failed to break his own 7 minutes 59.42 seconds stadium record and take home the first one carat diamond.

Compatriots Silas Kosgei Kitum was second in a personal best of 8 minutes and 12.42 seconds while Elijah Chelimo was third.

Olympic champion Nancy Langat bounced back to winning form with a convincing victory after the hiccup of losing over 1500 metres race on the Lausanne leg of the Samsung Diamond League series.

Langat scored a third victory, winning in a time of 4 minutes and 0.7 seconds and she was followed closely by Russia’s Anna Alminova in the second spot. Mark Kiptoo Kosgei won the men’s 5000 metres race beating Ethiopia’s Dejen Gebremeskel and Imane Merga to the second and third positions respectively.

Meanwhile, it’s Kenya versus Ethiopia in the 5,000 metres race at the Aviva Diamond League meeting at the Crystal Palace track in London next weekend.

The women’s 5,000 metres race on Friday night looks set to be a great battle, with Kenya’s Vivian Cheruiyot lining up against Ethiopia’s Tirunesh Dibaba and Meseret Defar.

Cheruiyot, the reigning world champion over 5,000 metres race, currently holds the world lead time over the distance with 14 minutes 27.41 seconds which she achieved in France last month.

However, she will face tough competition from Dibaba, the reigning 5,000 and 10,000 metres Olympic champion.

CAROL MUTHONDU