NAIROBI, July 10; The heroic performance by Kenya’s Paul Kipsiele Koech in the Rome Golden League meet on Friday has earned the Olympic 3000m steeplechase bronze medallist a place on the team for the World championships in Helsinki, officials have said.

The 23-year-old did not make the qualifying time after finishing fourth during the Kenyan trials in June and only two athletes were selected.

But following his second place finish in the bruising battle with Qatar’s Kenyan-born Saif Saeed Shaheen in Rome, Athletics Kenya (AK) selectors said Koech had earned the remaining berth as a wild card.

“We had agreed that the third slot would be filled after the Paris and Rome Golden League meetings,” said AK general-secretary David Okeyo.—AFP