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Ezekiel Kemboi won the men's Olympic 3,000-metre steeplechase title on Sunday (August 5th) for the second time, giving Kenya its first gold medal in the games this year.

Kemboi clocked 8 minutes, 18.56 seconds to finish ahead of France's Mahiedine Mekhissi-Benabbad, who clocked 8 minutes, 19.08 seconds, for his second Olympic silver in the event.

"First of all, it is wonderful to win Kenya's first gold medal in the athletics here and secondly to have made up for missing out in Beijing when I was sick," Kemboi said, according to AFP.

Kemboi, a two-time world champion, celebrated his victory by dancing with Mekhissi-Benabbad. "The dance was a spontaneous thing and he went along with it. It was a bit of fun," Kemboi said.

Fellow Kenyan Abel Kiprop Mutai took the bronze medal. Kenya has won the men's 3,000-metre steeplechase in eight consecutive Olympics, since the 1984 Los Angeles Games.

Mekhissi-Benabbad expressed no regrets for taking the silver medal, denying Kenya a clean sweep in the competition.

"Kemboi is the Kenyan I appreciate most," he said. "It is a good-natured and fair war between us. I congratulate him. He is a great champion."

"I do not have any regrets, I sweated blood for the French vest, I did what I had to do," he said.

Also on Sunday, Ethiopia's Tiki Gelana won the gold medal for the women's marathon and set an Olympic record in 2 hours, 23 minutes, 7 seconds.

Kenyan Priscah Jeptoo took silver in 2 hours, 23 minutes, 12 seconds. "I did not expect [to win the] silver medal. I trained very well and was feeling good. I thought I would finish among the top five, but certainly not number one or two," Jeptoo said, according to Kenya's The Standard.

Ethiopian Tirunesh Dibaba retained her title and took home the gold medal in the women's 10,000-metre in 30 minutes, 20.75 seconds. Kenyan Sally Kipyego won silver in 30 minutes, 26.37 seconds, and Kenyan Vivian Cheruiyot won bronze in 30 minutes, 30.44 seconds.