This archive report was first published on 6 October 2019.
October 4, 2019, marked a significant day for Timothy Cheruiyot, the world silver medalist, as he qualified for the 1500m final at the 2019 IAAF World Championships in Doha. Cheruiyot, an inspector at the Kenya Prisons Services, has been on a roll, winning 11 out of 12 Diamond League meetings in the last two years.
With a personal best of 3:28.77, Cheruiyot is set to go full throttle from 7.40pm in an attempt to bring back the title being held by his training mate Elijah Manangoi, who failed to defend his title due to an ankle injury.
Cheruiyot won the first semi-final in a marginally faster version of 3:36.53, ahead of Algerian Taoufik Makhloufi, who timed 3:36.69, and Briton Neil Gourley in third place.
Cheruiyot will partner with his compatriot Ronald Kwemoi, who adopted a front-running style in the semis and was rewarded with a second-place finish in 3:36.53 in heat two behind European indoor champion Marcin Lewandowski (3:36.50) and Norway's Jakob Ingebrigtsen in third place (3:36.58).
Cheruiyot expressed his confidence ahead of the final, saying, 'I know the expectation to win gold is quite high, but I'm managing the pressure. So far, I have run according to the instruction of my coach Bernard Ouma to enable me reach the finals comfortably. I hope for the best in the final tomorrow (today),' Cheruiyot said yesterday.
