Conseslus Kipruto Wants Steeplechase World Record After Returning to the Top of the Podium in Rome

By Adam Kopet

Conseslus Kipruto returned to the winner's circle Thursday, prevailing in the 3,000-meter steeplechase at the Rome Golden Gala. Now he is turning his attention to the world record, which he hopes to run in Monaco, according to Ayumba Ayodi of the Daily Nation.

Kipruto dealt with illness earlier this season, which he gave as a partial explanation for his second-place finish in the steeplechase at last week's Prefontaine Classic. However, only six days after that race, he turned the tables on fellow Kenyan Benjamin Kigen at the Rome Golden Gala.

With Kipruto's early season races complete, he now turns his attention to the Monaco Diamond League meeting July 20 where he hopes to break the steeplechase world record of 7:53.63. Kipruto only has a personal best of 8:00.12.

Kipruto will not be the only athlete looking to run under eight minutes in Monaco. Evan Jager is targeting the Monaco Diamond League meeting for bettering his American record.

Jager had been on sub-eight-minute pace at the 2015 Paris Diamond League meeting, but he fell at the last barrier. He still got up and finished in an American record 8:00.45.

At the Prefontaine Classic, Jager finished only 0.002 seconds behind Kipruto, as the pair were given identical times of 8:11.71 for second and third.