NAIROBI, July 26 (AFP) - Favourite Abraham Chebii wonthe men’s 5,000m to become one of the main contendersfor a medal at the World Championship in Paris nextmonth.
Chebii ran a tactical race staying behind all the wayuntil he broke loose 200 metres to the finish.
He attained his first victory on home soil in 13:24.8with former world four kilometres cross country championJohn Kibowen in hot pursuit. Kibowen clocked 13:25:1 totake second.
Two-time world cross country champion Eliud Kipchoge,who led from the bell, finished third in 13.25.05.
Commonwealth champion Sammy Kipketer was fourth.
Chebii made no prediction on the Paris championships.
``I don’t want to say that I am going to win,’’ saidChebii, who attracted international attention this monthwhen he won the Paris and Rome Golden league races,beating Ethiopian pair Haile Gebrselassie and KeninisaBekele.
Kenya’s 1999 Commonwealth Games 800m champion JaphethKimutai returned to top form to set the fastest time ofthe high altitutude meet.
Kimutai, who spent last year in the wilderness, surgedpast the high-quality field on the final bend to clock1min 43.7sec, ahead of Justus Koech, who finished aheadof former world junior champions, Nicholas Wachira andJoseph Mutua.
Two-time world cross country women’s four kilometreschampion Edith Masai maintained her unbeaten run with animpressive time of 15:15:79, well clear of the chasingtrio of Japan-based Jane Wangui, Lucy Wangui andIsabella Ochichi.
World 1500m silver medallist Bernard Lagat wassurprisingly beaten into third in a race won by littleknown farmer Paul Korir, in only his third year ofcompetition.
Schoolboy Isaac Songok, who led through the first lap,took second in the sprint finish, nearly two secondsahead of Lagat.
National cross country champion John Cheruiyot Korircompleted a remarkable year when he won the men’s10,000m in 27:59:18, pipping fellow servicemanWilberforce Talel (28:09.76) with Gilbert Okari third in28:15:85.
World 3,000m record holder Daniel Komen, making hiscomeback, dropped out after only five laps.