Kombich clocks world leading 3:34.13 in Gent, junior Koech continues to impress

Gent, Belgium – Kenyan Ismael Kombich clocked a world leading mark of 3:34.13 in the 1500m, one of the main highlights at the Belgacom Flanders Indoor Meeting in Gent on Sunday (13), the sixth meeting of the 2011 IAAF Indoor Permit Meeting series.

His compatriot Paul Kipsiele Koech set a new World Best performance in the 2000m Steeplechase in 5:13.77, smashing the former mark that he set in Gent last year by more than three seconds. Another World best mark was set by Isaiah Koech in the 3000m. No junior ever ran faster than the Kenyan’s winning mark of 7:37.50.

Kombich best of Kenyans in the 1500m

The pacemaking in the 1500m was very ambitious with Rueben Bett coming through in 1:52 at the 800m mark. Three Kenyans stayed with the pace : Kombich, Daniel Kipchirchir Komen and Brimin Kipruto, along with Belgian Kristof Van Malderen. When Bett injected more speed only Kombich and Kipchirchir Komen were able to follow. Kombich made it a long sprinting finish and crossed the line in 3:34.13, a world leading performance.

“I’m very happy with my performance today,” said Kombich. “It is not unexpected, because I trained very hard and things were going fine in training. And today I was assisted by my friend Rueben Bett who lead the race just perfectly. This summer my goals lie with the World Championships and with the Diamond League.” Komen improved his seasonal best to 3.35.16 while Kipruto cracked in the final stages and settled with 3:39.07.

World bests for Paul Koech and Isaiah Koech

It looks as if Paul Kipsiele Koech is getting better and better at the age of 29. The Kenyan has already deserved a lot of honours but he showing more guts and more ambition than he has ever done before. At the 1000m mark he was trailing behind his World best schedule of 2010. But from then on he started to run furiously to finish in 5:13.77, more than three seconds below the former World best mark in the rarely contested 2000m Steeplechase.

“It was my plan to try and run a very fast second part today and that did work well. I did not feel tired after my 5000m race in Düsseldorf last Friday (13:15.64). My secret is that I train hard and that I always try to take the best out of me.”

Isaiah Koech is definitely one of the sensations of the indoor season, after he posted a phenomenal 12:53.29 in the 5000m in Düsseldorf last Friday. Hardly looking tired, the 17-year-old produced another impressive race, this time over 3000m in Gent. Again supported by his compatriot Vincent Rono, the young superstar in the making made a decisive move at the bell to cross the line in 7:37.50, the best ever mark set by a Junior. Rono hung on and posted 3:37.87.

“I can hardly believe what is happening to me. In Kenya I prepared well and I had a lot of practice but now I am I’m competing at the highest level already. I was impressed that I was running alongside Eliud Kipchoge last Friday, who is a monument of distance running in Kenya. It was tough and maybe today I still felt a bit tired. Now I can only aim for the highest and set my sights at the World Championships in Daegu next summer.”

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