Bragging rights at stake as Kipruto takes Bakkali on in Paris

Bragging rights will be at stake when World 3000m steeplechase champion Conseslus Kipruto and Olympic champion Soufiane El Bakkali will battle it out in the Paris leg of the Diamond League this Saturday at the Charlety Stadium.

Bakkali cruised to victory in the recently concluded Tokyo 2020 Games to take home the prestigious crown initially held by Kipruto who won it in 2016 in Rio. Kipruto, a multiple world champion failed to defend his title after failing to finish in the trials in Nairobi.

The Moroccan's win in Tokyo elicited angry reactions from Kenyans who slammed the duo of Benjamin Kigen and Abraham Kibiwott for failing to defend a race considered Kenya's birthright.

Kirputo has a chance to show Bakkali who is the boss in the water and barrier race in Paris where a rich field is lined up. Bakkali who returns to the Diamond League for the first time since his victory in Tokyo will not only face Kipruto but Kigen and Olympic silver medalist Lamecha Girma of Ethiopia. The budding Bett will also be in the mix so is Wale Getnet of Ethiopia.

Olympic 800m silver medalist Ferguson Rotich will be hoping to serve Marco Arop of Canada with revenge after the latter beat the decorated Kenyan runner in Lausanne on Thursday.

Arop crossed the line ahead of Olympic champion Emmanuel Korir while Rotich came in third. The World bronze medalist will enjoy the company of Commonwealth champion Wycliffe Kinyamal. The two Kenyans will face off with 2016 Olympics bronze medalist Clayton Murphy of the United States of America and the 2019 World silver medalist Tuka Amel of Bosnia.

2016 European Championships bronze medalist Giles Elliot of England and Peter Bol of Australia will also be looking to win the race. 

The 2019 World 5000m silver medalist Margaret Kipkemboi and the 2018 World U20 5000m champion Beatrice Chebet will be the only Kenyans in the 3000m race.

The two will face stiff competition from the Ethiopian duo of WorkuFantu and Taye Ejgayehu while 2016 800m silver medalist Francine Niyonsaba, as well as Can Yasemin Turkey, will also be in the race.