by Justin LagatThe introduction of live coverage via FB and twitter is contributing to the improved viewing of the IAAF World Indoor Tour. I was able to watch both meets while traveling to the Middle East and the coverage was fantastic. In viewing the interaction, it was obvious that the excitement of the indoor sport is being captured in FB and twitter. This is the future of our sport.
Yomif Kejelcha, photo by PhotoRun.net
This embrace of the excitement of new media is a key to the 2018 approach for the IAAF with their major meetings. We at @runblogrun congratulate the IAAF on this move.
Here is Justin Lagat’s commentary of the middle distance races from Dusseldorf!
It seems the IAAF world indoor meetings have never been as exciting as they are this year. With the introduction of the FaceBook and YouTube platforms for streaming the events live, it is becoming more efficient for fans to watch the events wherever they are, be it with their phones or computers. The FaceBook platform is particularly more exciting as comments from other viewers keep scrolling down besides the main screen which makes it feel as though the whole world is watching the event in single room.
When it is somebody’s day to shine, then nothing can stop that. It was Vincent Kibet’s in the men’s 1500m race. Many didn’t have him in mind as the potential winner. Elijah Manangoi, the world 1,500m champion was seen as the clear favorite and it looked more so with a few hundred meters to go as he made a move to overtake Adelaati Iguider as the two engaged in a finishing kick, but suddenly Manangoi went down and Iguider also with him. The cameras shifted to Kibet as he jumped over the two and ran unchallenged to cross the finish line as a surprised winner in 3:36.86. Aman Wote was almost two seconds behind him as he came to finish second in 3:38.35.
The men’s 3000m race went almost as predicted. Yomif Kejelcha was the favorite having finished second to his compatriot, Hagos Gebrhiwot three days ago in Karlsruhe. He seemed to have taken one lesson from that race, that he should not count so much on his finishing kick. So, in this particular race, he was so close to the front the entire race. Bethwel Birgen made the race quite interesting when he gave a spirited finishing kick that was perhaps not typical of the Kenyans, but Kejelcha could not yield to the pressure and won the race in 7:40.55 with Birgen slightly behind in 7:40.90.
Adam Kszczot completely dominated the first heat of the men’s 800m race in a show of great form winning the race in 1:46.47. This was the fastest time of the evening which made him the overall winner as the 2nd, 3rd, 4th and 5th overall finishers of the evening came from the second heat signifying the gap that Kszczot created on his competitors. Nicholas Kiplangat had closed in on Wycliffe Kinyamal just at the finish line to edge him by running 1:46.52 while Kinyamal ran 1:46:54.
Beatrice Chepkoech had a great run in the women’s 1500m race as she remained patient just behind the pace setter before easing away slowly from the rest of the field as soon as Sanne Verstegen, the pace setter, stepped out of the race. 4:04:21 was the time that Chepkoech recorded to win the race comfortably as Angelika Cichocka overtook Winny Chebet to finish second in 4:06.35.
