AMOS BIWOTT OF KENYA WON THE OLYMPIC GOLD MEDAL IN THE 3,000-METRES STEEPLECHASE IN MEXICO CITY ON WEDNESDAY (16 OCTOBER). BENJAMIN KOGO ALSO OF KENYA WON THE SILVER MEDAL, AND GEORGE YOUNG OF THE UNITED STATES, THE BRONZE. THE OUTCOME OF THE RACE REMAINED IN SUSPENSE TILL THE END.

MOST OF THE RACE WAS LED BY 23-YEAR-OLD KOGO. BIWOTT WAS SOME 40-METRES (43.7 YARDS) BEHIND. TOWARDS THE END, HE SPRINTED AND WON IN A DAZZLING FINISH.

BIWOTT, A 21-YEAR-OLD STUDENT, SAID AFTERWARDS THAT THE REASON HE KEPT AT THE BACK THROUGHOUT MOST OF THE RACE WAS THAT THE WORLD'S BEST RUNNERS WERE INVOLVED, AND THAT IF ONE RUNS AHEAD "ONE GETS TIRED." HIS TIME WAS 8 MINUTES 51 SECONDS. KOGO'S TIME WAS 8 MINUTES 51.6 SECONDS.

THE BELGIAN CHAMPION GASTON ROELANTS LED THE RACE FOR THE FIRST THREE LAPS, BUT LATITUDE SEEMS TO HAVE WEAKENED HIM. BENJAMIN KOGO THEN TOOK OVER AND DOMINATED THE RACE TILL ALMOST THE END, TO BE FINALLY BEATEN IN A SPECTACULAR FINISH BY BIWOTT.