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Facing a criminal trial back home and winning an Olympic gold in London -- this is the story of Kenya's Ezekiel Kemboi who clinched the men's 3000m steeplechase title on Sunday.
The 30-year-old Kemboi showed great determination to put aside the thought of a legal battle back home and win gold in a time of 8:18.56sec, way ahead of France's Mahiedine Mekhissi-Benabear, who time 8:19.08 for a second consecutive silver. Kemboi's teammate, Abel Kiprop Mutai, bagged the bronze in 8:19.73sec.
Kemboi, who underlined Kenya's rock-solid grip over the event by winning the eighth consecutive gold in the Olympics, is facing charges of allegedly stabbing a woman in a carjacking incident earlier this year.
The two-time world champion then celebrated his Olympic title triumph by doing a jig with Mekhissi-Benabear, who gave France its first medal in athletics at London. The Kenyan thus regained the title he had won in Athens (2004).
Like Kemboi, Mekhissi-Benabear too is no stranger to controversies as he was involved in a bitter fight with compatriot Mehdi Baala in 2011, forcing the national federation to ban him for five months.
Kemboi was quoted as saying in the media that it was a great feeling to open Kenya's gold-medal account in athletics at the London Games and to also erase the memories of a seventh-place finish in Beijing (2008). The Kenyan had missed a podium finish four years back as he had become sick before the race.
Mekhissi-Benabear congratulated Kemboi after the race saying that he had great regard for the Kenyan and that they were the best of friends. "I don't have any regrets, I sweated blood for the French vest, I did what I had to do," Mekhissi-Benabear was quoted as saying.