JOIN USTintu Luka turned in her season’s best performance but that was not good enough for her to cross the first hurdle in the women’s 800M here on Wednesday.
Tintu ran a typically Tintu race, leading initially and then fading in the second lap, unable to match the finishing speed of her opponents.
A semifinalist at London 2012, Tintu placed sixth in her heat in 2:00.58, improving her previous season’s best of 2:00.61, clocked at Prague in June. Overall, she was placed 29th. Selena Buchel of Switzerland won the heat in 1:59.00.
The top two athletes in each of the eight heats and the next eight fastest athletes moved into the semifinals. Caster Semenya, the controversial South African, was among those sailing through, winning her heat in 1:59.31.
Kipruto tops
Meanwhile, Conseslus Kipruto of Kenya comfortably won the gold in men’s 3000M steeplechase even as his compatriot Ezekiel Kemboi bid goodbye to the track with bronze.
Kipruto clocked 8:03.28, towering over his rivals to win his first major title. American Evan Jager claimed the silver in 8:04.28, followed by Kemboi in 8:08.47.
Kemboi, four-time world champion and two-time Olympic champion, waved at the thin morning crowd at the Olympic Stadium before making his way out. He later confirmed that he was retiring from the scene.
“This is my fourth Olympics and I just want to say that I am retiring from athletics. Sometimes, you just need to make a decision and I have come to the conclusion that today is my last event,” said Kemboi.
The 34-year-old, a colourful character, won gold medals in Athens 2004 and London 2012 while triumphing in World Championships at Berlin 2009, Daegu 2011, Moscow 2013 and Beijing 2015.
Results: 3000M steeplechase: Conseslus Kipruto (Ken) 8:03.28, 1; Evan Jager (US) 8:04.28, 2; Ezekiel Kemboi (Ken) 8:08.47, 3.