Andrew Kiptoo Alamisi Strikes Gold For Kenya In World U20 Championships

• Andrew Alamisi opened Team Kenya's medal rush at the World U20 Championships in Peru with a bang
• Alamisi sprinted to victory in the men's 5000m final after a closely contested race on the opening day of the games
• Kenya will be looking to better the 10 medals they got during the last championships held in Cali, Colombia

Kenya began its campaign at the World U20 Championships in stunning fashion on Wednesday morning when Andrew Kiptoo Alamisi won the men's 5000m final.

Alamisi timed the race perfectly before outpacing his competitors in a sprint finish at the Estadio Atlético de la Villa Deportiva Nacional in Lima, Peru.

How Andrew Alamisi won

The 17-year-old was the hot favourite going into the race, given that he was the quickest athlete in terms of personal bests. He clocked 13:41.14, just ahead of Ethiopia's Abdisa Fayisa's 13:41.56. Uganda's Kenneth Kiptop ran a season's best of 13:41.73 to take bronze.

The other Kenyan in the race, Ishmael Kipkurui, finished just outside the podium places in fourth.

Japan's Kaito Matsui hit the front from the word go, using an insane 64 seconds in the first lap. His pace decreased to 67 seconds in the subsequent lap. Matsui eventually ran out of steam before he was overlapped and finished last.

Kenya, Uganda, Ethiopia and Burundi soon took charge of the race, but the lead group was still as big as 10 athletes heading into the last kilometre. The group was whittled down to four in the last 200m, with Alamisi beating Fayisa in the homestretch.

Women's 5000m final World U20 Championships

Earlier in the women's final, Ethiopians ran the show as Medina Eisa obliterated the field to defend her title with a championship record time of 14:39.71. Her compatriot Mekedes Aleshemete was second, while Uganda's Charity Cherop was third. Kenyans Mercy Chepkemoi and Sheila Jebet were fourth and fifth, respectively.

The U20 championships will run until August 31. In the last edition held in Cali, Colombia, Kenya was fourth overall with three gold, three silver and four bronze medals.

Faith Kipygeon to compete at Athlos NYC event

TUKO.co.ke has also reported that Faith Kipyegon will compete at the Athlos NYC event on September 26.

The newly minted triple Olympic champion will participate in the event organised by Serena Williams' husband, Alexis Ohanian.