São Paulo – This Monday (15), 19-year-old Bahraini runner Ruth Jebet won the gold medal in the 3000 meter steeplechase at the Rio Olympics. A native of Kenya, she outran Hyvin Kiyeng Jepkemoi, of Kenya (silver) and the USA’s Emma Coburn (bronze) to finish the race in 8:59.75 – close to the world and Olympic record of 8:59.81, achieved by Russia’s Galkina-Samitova in Beijing, 2008.
On Sunday, another Kenyan-born Bahraini athlete, the 32-year-old Eunice Jepkirui Kirwa, finished second in the women’s marathon, in 2:24:13, to win the silver medal. The winner was Kenya’s Jemima Jelagat Sumgong. Ethiopia’s Mare Dibaba won bronze.
Saturday saw Kuwait’s Abdullah Al Rashidi, aged 52, take bronze in the men’s skeet shooting competition, trailing Italy’s Gabriele Rossetti (gold) and Sweden’s Marcus Svensson (silver). He defeated Ukraine’s Mikola Milchev for the third place.
He attracted attention from British media by donning an Arsenal jersey. Rashidi competed in the Olympics as an independent Olympic athlete, since Kuwait was suspended by the International Olympic Committee (ICO), as did his fellow countryman Fehaid Aldeehani, who won gold in the double trap shooting event.
*Translated by Gabriel Pomerancblum
