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The World U20 bronze medallist was unchallenged for most of the race to claim his first Diamond League trophy
Simon Koech run a dominant race to claim the Diamond League Trophy after winning the men’s 3,000m steeplechase at the Prefontaine Classic, the Diamond League finale, in Eugene, Oregon on Saturday.
Koech stayed ahead from the start and never allowed his rivals to come close to him, sprinting off in the final lap to claim the victory in a time of 8:06.26.
The time was slower that his season’s best of 8:04.19 but he executed the race well, leaving his opponents fighting for second position.
Ethiopia’s Samuel Firewu finished second in 8:10.74 while Australian George Beamish completed the podium after clocking 8:14.01 showing just how the rest of the pack struggled to match up with the leading duo.
World bronze medallist Abraham Kibiwott of Kenya could only manage a seventh place finish, followed by countrymen Benjamin Kigen and Amos Serem in eight and ninth positions respectively.
Kibiwott looked like he could challenge the early pace setters but fizzled out when it mattered most.
The World U20 bronze medallist Koech made up for his seventh-place finish at the 2023 World Championships which will give him confidence heading into the next season, especially with the Paris Olympics to look forward to.
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