Kenya’s Samwel Muchai won Kenya’s first gold in a world record time of 3:58.37 on Monday in the men’s 1500m T11 race at the Olympic stadium in London.
Muchai guided by James Boit ran a tactical race leaving Brazilian Odair Santos to set the pace through the opening 1200m.
He then easily raced past the Brazilian pair with about 300m remaining and surged forward in dominant style to cross the line almost 10 seconds faster than the old mark of 4:10.05 ran by Chinese Zhang Zhen four years ago.
It was an outstanding performance by Muchai who won silver in Beijing. Santos settled for siver in 4:03.66 a regional record with Canadian Joseph Dunkerley racing to a personal best of 4:03.66.
Team Kenya captain Henry Kirwa bagged the country’s first medal at arguably the second largest sporting fiesta after the Olympics, a bronze in the men’s 5000 T12.
Kirwa,39, the winner in Beijing broke out with Moroccan El Amin Chentouf and Tunisian Abderrahim Zhiou in the first paced race.
At the 2000m mark Chentouf injected an astonishing pace opening a 100m gap between him and second place Kirwa and Zhiou who intermittently exchanged positions in the race the silver position.
With about two laps, with Chentouf racing against the clock, well within the World record time, Kirwa struggled for the silver edging past the Tunisian.
But as the Moroccan stopped the clock at 13:53.76, the fastest ever in his race classification, Zhiou beat Kirwa in the sprint for the line for the silver in 14:19.97 while the Kenyan also finished within his old world mark of 14:20.76.
Kirwa won the gold in Beijing in 14:24.02. Kirwa will have another gold at the go against the new North African champion Chentouf, in the men’s 1500m final at 9:10pm Kenyan time.
Chentouf had the fastest qualifying time of 3:52.77 ahead of the second Kenyan in the race David Korir(3:52.96).
Mary Nakhumicha, silver Javelin winner in Beijing, will also take the field on Tuesday in the first of her three events in London when she lines up in the women’s Discuss throw final.
Sportsnewsarena Correspondent
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