Ultimate Championship: More Woes for Kenyans as Dorcus Ewoi Loses Out on Ksh19 Million Top Prize

Kenya has eight representatives at the World Athletics Ultimate Championship but after the second of the three-day event, none of them has managed a podium finish.

The latest to suffer that fate is Dorcus Ewoi, who was one of Kenya’s prospects, but could only finish fifth in the women’s 1,500m final on Saturday.

In a strong field that also included newly-crowned Diamond League champion Klaudia Kazimierska from Poland, Britain’s Georgia Hunter Bell, Jessica Hull of Australia and American Nikki Hiltz, Ewoi knew the hunt for the $150,000 (Ksh19.4 million) was not going to be easy.

It turned out to be the case as Kazimierska, Hunter Bell, Hull and Hiltz exchanged leads while the Kenyan lurked behind.

Things changed in the final lap when Kazimierska and Hunter Bell went for it. The British runner thought she had it until the Pole summoned a great finishing kick to storm to victory in a time of 3:57.55 as Hunter Bell clocked 3:57.72 for second place. Hiltz completed the podium in 3:58.16.

Meanwhile, Ewoi, who initially looked like she was kicking hard, ran out of steam and could only manage fifth place in a time of 3:58.56.

It was a disappointing end for the world 1,500m silver medalist who had finished second to Kazimierska at the Diamond League final last week.

Ewoi’s woes follows Jacob Krop and Cornelius Kemboi, who finished in 10th and 11th in the men’s 5000m final respectively on Saturday, while Mercy Oketch did not make the 400m final on the same day.