World conquerors return home to heroes’ welcome

• Triumphant national team lands amid joy as Kenyans lavish champs with praise

Numerous honking cars and matatus full of exuberant relatives, decorated with an explosion of colours were at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport on Tuesday evening in time to receive the triumphant kings and queens of open country running.

They came a few carloads at a time, some tailgating in the JKIA parking lot, others simply whooping and high-fiving and laughing the hours away.

By the time the conquering national Cross Country team landed at JKIA at around 6:31pm from Bydgoszcz where they won a clean sweep of the races on offer - senior men and women, junior men and women together with the team title - about 3, 000 well-wishers and relatives had assembled.

“I’m happy to be back home. It was a fruitful trip and I’m delighted with this win,” said a joyous Joseph Ebuya, winner of the men’s senior title, after a 10-year hiatus.

“I’m now focusing on the World Championships and the next World Cross Country.”

Everyone jostled to have a glimpse of the champions.

“We are extremely happy to have these kinds of results and this is a great day for Kenya,” remarked Youth and Sports Minister Hellen Sambili. “There’s need to revise (upwards) the bonuses these athletes are getting.”

I couldn’t agree more with the minister: These world conquerors certainly deserve more.

“I couldn’t believe it. Linet (Masai) was pushing me really hard but when I saw the finishing line, I knew this was my chance and went ahead to grab it,” said Emily Chebet, the senior women’s gold medalist. “The Ethiopians couldn’t believe it, they were very sad and shocked. But we were happy.”

Vantage position

The juniour men’s champion, Caleb Mwangangi, was equally elated. “The best I had ever done was a silver medal last year during the World Youth Championships in Italy,” Mwangangi said. “The party has just started in Mwala (his birthplace in Machakos).”

The junior women’s team returned their first perfect score in 10 years after the class of Villamoura 2000, comprising among others, Vivian Cheruiyot and Alice Timbilil, swept the boards in the junior contest in Portugal.

Mercy Cherono, the 2010 junior women’s champion, knew it was ‘war’ from the gun.

“The moment the gun went, I knew this was going to be a tough race. The Ethiopians had given us trouble for a long time. But one can’t keep on winning all days. Our time had come,” said Cherono.

On Sunday, she shook off the challenge of Ethiopia’s Genzebe Dibaba to win the gold, the only medal missing in her collection as a junior. In Amman last year, Cherono had to watch as Dibaba came from behind in the final 200 metres to win the gold.