Uganda’s Jacob Kiplimo wins 5000M during Golden Spike meet in Ostrava

Uganda’s Jacob Kiplimo, 19, won the 5000m with a timing of 12:48:63 at the 5000m win at the IAAF Golden Spike 2020 Athletics meeting in Ostrava,Czech Republic on Tuesday.

The former junior world champion proved that he will be the man World record holder Cheptegei keeps and eye on.

This is after he pulled off a stunning come-from behind  to beat Ethiopia’AS World Championship silver medalist Selemon Barega.

He mounted an assault on Stephen Cherono’s meet record of 12:48.81.

I wanted the fast time so I kept on pushing. It was a fight in the home straight. And it was wonderful.

Jacob Kiplimo, Uganda’s athlete

Kiplimo out-paced him in the last 400m to set a new personal best and meet record of 12:48.63.

Barega came second in 12:49.08.

The 20-year-old Barega, the 5th-fastest man in history (12:43.02 pb), gave it his all, and set the pace but with four laps to the end, Kiplimo emerged among the race leaders.

“Kiplimo kept the pressure on and with two laps remaining he went to the lead. Barega responded and stayed right behind him until the finishing stretch. Coming off the final turn, Barega moved wide to try to pass Kiplimo and fans got to witness a fantastic finish,” is how Lets Run described the race, adding that, ” Barega pulled almost dead even with Kiplimo but in the end Kiplimo got the win in a massive pb of 12:48.63, which also was a meet record.”

The 19-year-old long-distance runner has elevated his profile high enough with three world records (WR) in nine months to add to last year’s 5000m Diamond League (DL) trophy, the World Cross-country title and the world 10000m gold.

But before all that, it is teenager Kiplimo who was in everyone’s face after dominating the track prior to the World Cross-country Championships in Aarhus, Denmark, in March last year.

Kiplimo’s victory comes in less than a month after Ugandan icon Joshua Cheptegei made history by breaking a 16 year old 5000m world record with 12:35.36 at the Monaco Diamond League in August.

Meanwhile, middle distance runner Winnie Nanyondo finished ninth in the 1500m race.

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