3,000 M Steeplechase: Yacob Jarso Arrives!

This has got to be one of the bright spots of this Olympics. Yacob Jarso finished fourth in the 3,000 M Steeplechase. We don't see this often. He was someone that was not supposed to be in the finals but he ran the race of his life. Twice in a row! He beat the erudite and wily Ezekiel Kemboi, Olympic Champion and World Championship runner up. This was no easy feat.

The steeplechase is like a marathon. It's hard for someone without the track record to step up. When a young athlete steps up, it's raw talent over skills. It is obvious that Yacob has an abundance of talent. One don't come in fourth and set a National Record at 20 with limited experience unless you are immensely talented. If managed properly he is a force to be reckoned with. He alone will cause Kenyans plenty of headaches.

Yacob's performance, Zemzem Ahmed's seventh place finish in the Women's Final as well as Legesse Lamiso's godl in the 2008 World Youth World Championships are successes that Ethiopia needs to build on.