Isaac Kimeli runs his way to a European Championship medal
The Kenyan Belgian Isaac Kimeli has won the silver medal at the European Cross Country Championship in the Dutch district of Tilburg.
Kimeli remained well at the front throughout the competition. In the last round, the race was between himself, Ali Kaya from Turkey, and Filip Ingebrigtsen from Norway. He claimed victory over Kaya in the final sprint. However, Kimeli was finally beaten by the Norwegian. Witnessed by hundreds of Belgian fans, the 24-year-old Belgian sprinted his way to silver.
The medal came as a great relief to him. In 2017, he was forbidden from participating in the EC and he lost his top-sport status. Then, in August 2018, he was disqualified in the 5000 m during the athletics European Championships in Berlin, where he was 5th to cross the finishing line. He had not expected to make a comeback so soon. His original ambition was to reach the top 15.
It was not the first award received by Kimeli. In 2016, he was crowned the European U23 Champion. And now, during his first EC senior men's race, he has instantly won a prize as well.
With such good results in this last season, Kimeli has meanwhile received a new top-sport contract from Sport Vlaanderen.