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Post Athens, Kipketer finishes third again
Wilson Kipketer failed to earn a farewell victory when he repeated his bronze-medal performance at the Olympics in the Rieti Grand Prix 800 metres on Sunday.
Wilson Kipketer failed to earn a farewell victory when he repeated his bronze-medal performance at the Olympics in the Rieti Grand Prix 800 metres on Sunday.
Exactly one week after the Athens Games finished, Kipketer again lost a lead after the final turn and finished third. Kenya's Joseph Mutua won in 1:43.35, Youssef Saad Kamel of Bahrain was second in 1:43.43, and Kipketer, the Kenyan-born world record-holder who competes for Denmark, finished third in 1:43.89.
Kipketer was positioned well at halfway and launched himself into the lead after 500 meters, but he appeared to run out of steam and was overtaken on the final straight.
"The race was good, the only thing that was a mistake was that I stayed behind for a long time," he said. "This might be my second-to-last race. I don't think this will be my last race." A three-time world champion, Kipketer had indicated this could have been his final race.
