Paris
Paris () is the capital and most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), making it the 30th most densely populated city in the world in 2020. S ...
,
France
France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...
. There were a total number of 36 participating athletes, with three qualifying heats and the final held on Tuesday 2003-08-26 at 21:30h.
Analysis
In Kenya, where the steeplechase is virtually the national sport and source of national pride, the top up and coming athletes in 2003 were
Stephen Cherono
Saif Saaeed Shaheen ( ar, سيف سعيد شاهين), formerly Stephen Cherono (born 15 October 1982), is a steeplechase runner. He was born in Keiyo, Kenya but now he represents Qatar. He currently holds the world record for 3000 metre stee ...
and
Ezekiel Kemboi
Ezekiel Kemboi Cheboi (born 25 May 1982) is a Kenyan professional athlete, winner of the 3000 metres steeplechase at the 2004 Summer Olympics, the 2009 World Championships, the 2011 World Championships, the 2012 Summer Olympics, the 2013 W ...
. Along with Stephen's brother
Abraham Cherono
Abraham Cherono (born 21 July 1980 in Keiyo District) is a Kenyan runner who specializes in the 3000 metres steeplechase and cross-country running.
He is the older brother of Stephen Cherono, who moved to Qatar and changed his name to Saif Saaee ...
, they swept the 2002 Commonwealth Games Steeplechase for Kenya. In 2003, there was a huge change.
Qatar was near the beginning of their program to purchase mercenary athletes; young, promising athletes who would take Qatari citizenship and (unique to Qatar's program) take on a different name. Stephen, and some 40 other athletes, took the deal. Changing his name from Stephen Cherono to Saif Saaeed Shaheen, he was reported to have received up to
US$
The United States dollar (symbol: $; code: USD; also abbreviated US$ or U.S. Dollar, to distinguish it from other dollar-denominated currencies; referred to as the dollar, U.S. dollar, American dollar, or colloquially buck) is the official ...
1 million to become a Qatari
citizen
Citizenship is a "relationship between an individual and a state to which the individual owes allegiance and in turn is entitled to its protection".
Each state determines the conditions under which it will recognize persons as its citizens, and ...
,The New York Times: A Runner Changes His Flag For Cash /ref> although he denied this. This was the first major competition where, as Shaheen, he was wearing a different country's bib. This angered his former teammates who were determined to beat him.
Over the previous two decades, Kenyan athletes have learned how to use team tactics to essentially gang up on the rest of the world while assuring another Kenyan victory. Shaheen had learned these tactics. Now virtually alone, he had to figure out how to beat them. He chose to run away from them. Alone out front, no team could get in his way. He did have a teammate in the race, a veteran former Sudanese athlete who had been running for Qatar for several years,
Khamis Abdullah Saifeldin
Khamis Abdullah Saifeldin ( ar, خميس عبدالله سيف الدين; born 1 February 1976) is a Qatari runner who specialized in the 3000 metre steeplechase. He is of Sudanese descent.Luis Miguel Martín and Eliseo Martín, the pack had moved back into contention, with the French home crowd excited that
Bouabdellah Tahri
Bouabdallah "Bob" Tahri (born 20 December 1978) is a retired
middle-distance and long-distance French runner, who was born in Metz. He competed mainly in the 3000 m steeplechase distance. He also competes in the 2000 m steeplechase, 1500 m, mi ...
was in the mix with a lap to go. But the two prizefighters at the front didn't notice, they were still throwing their best punches at each other.
At the bell, Kemboi again sprinted to open up a slight gap. After the fourth barrier, Shaheen sprinted past, opening up a gap over the third barrier and into the water jump. This move at the fourth barrier would later become Kemboi's trademark. Also, unlike later years, Kemboi took the water jump carefully by pushing off the barrier. Coming out of the pit, Kemboi positioned himself for one final sprint, passing Shaheen over the final barrier on the outside. With a slight gap, Kemboi looked to be sprinting to victory, but Shaheen surged again taking the lead thirty metres out. Defeated, the exhausted Kemboi jogged across the line and lay down on the track.
While bronze medalist Eliseo Martín, enthusiastically came to congratulate Shaheen, the Kenyans did not congratulate their former teammate, now traitor, on his victory. Even his own brother walked off the track in disgust.
Without Shaheen in the race, Kemboi would claim Olympic gold the following year. A couple of weeks later, Shahen would one up him again by setting what is still the current world record in the event. Shaheen would repeat as champion in 2005, again over Kemboi, but would then disappear from the scene. After three straight silver medals, Kemboi would finally take gold in 2009, beginning a legendary winning streak of four straight gold medals and seven straight gold or silver medals through 2015 and another Olympic gold in 2012. Each of those victories was marked with a celebration victory dance and the same sprint between the fourth and third remaining barriers that he learned from Shaheen in this race.