Nairobi — The 2017 World 1500m champion Elijah Manangoi continued his journey to redemption when he finished third in the men’s 1500 metres at the Cape Millers Middle Distance Invitational event in Cape Town, South Africa on Monday.
Manangoi clocked 3:37.42 as the South African duo of Mafori Ryan (3:32.90) and Tshepo Tshite (3:33.02) finished first and second respectively.
The race was the second one this year for the 2018 Commonwealth Games 1500m champion who competed at the third leg of the Athletics Kenya Track and Field Weeked Meeting in February in Thika where he won the men’s 1500m in 3:46.41.
Manangoi was in November 2020 banned for two years by the Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) for a whereabouts failure.
His first race after serving his punishment was in January last year when he competed in the mixed relay during the Kenya Police Cross Country Championships at the Ngong Racecourse, Nairobi.
However, his bid to qualify for the World Championships in Oregon was unsuccessful after he finished ninth in the men’s 1500m during the national trials at Moi International Sports Centre Kasarani in June.
He also clocked 3:38.02 to finish third at the Stanislas Invitational Meeting in Nancy, France.
The 30-year-old remains hopeful of clinching his second world title at the World Championships in Budapest, Hungary where he will be seeking to dethrone Jake Wightman of Great Britain, who beat another Kenyan, Timothy Cheruiyot, at last year’s edition in the United States.
