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Determined Mucheru through to 400m hurdles final
From left, Montserrat's Julius Morris, Papua New Guinea's Ruwan Gunasinghe and Kenya's Carvin Nkanata compete in the heats of the men's 200m athletics event at Hampden Park during the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, Scotland, on July 30, 2014. PHOTO | ADRIAN DENNIS | AFP
What you need to know:
- It was a show of determination and self-belief as Mucheru pulled from five places behind in the homestretch to overtake the rest save for Cato after scaling the last hurdle.
- National record holder Carvin Nkanata clocked 20.65 to qualify for Thursday's semi-finals of the men’s 200m after finishing second in his heat.
- Musyoki finished ninth in Group A of the qualification phase with a jump of 6.04m as Marlyne Ngoa from Cameroon posted 6.52 metres to lead four others into the final.
INGLASGOW, SCOTLAND
Kenyan sprinter Boniface Mucheru on Wednesday stormed the 400m hurdles final in the 2014 Glasgow Commonwealth Games at the Hampden Park.
National record holder Carvin Nkanata clocked 20.65 to qualify for Thursday's semi-finals of the men’s 200m after finishing second in his heat.
Mucheru, who is the 2012 Africa bronze medallist, clocked 49.67 seconds, finishing second to cruise to the final in the heat that went to Jamaican Roxroy Cato in 49.51.
It was a show of determination and self-belief as Mucheru pulled from five places behind in the homestretch to overtake the rest save for Cato after scaling the last hurdle.
BETT OUT
Mucheru’s counterpart Nicholas Bett fell short after crossing the line fifth in 51.21 as Jehue of Trinidad and Tobago claimed victory in 49.42.
Nkanata, who is based in the United States of America, romped home second in 20.65 to qualify for Thursday semis while rugby player turned sprinter Collins Omae settled seventh in 21.90 to exit.
Mucheru, who failed to go past the preliminaries at the 2012 London Olympics, said his dream was to make the final and he achieved it. “I was placed on a difficult seventh lane where I was on my opponents’ scale and that called for a little bit of intelligence at home stretch,” said Mucheru.
The 22-year-old Mucheru said a better lane in the final will be key to a better performance. “I never lost hope despite falling to fifth. I am hoping for a better lane in the final.”
'GREAT EXPECTATIONS'
Mucheru, a bronze medallist in 4x400m at the 2012 Africa Championships, intends to run the race of his life. “I didn’t put in my best today hence I hope for a better display in the final and perhaps improve on my time,” said Mucheru, who hinted at breaking Eric Keter’s 21-year national record time of 48.24.
Nkanata, who holds the national record time of 20.32, set in May this year in the USA, said sprints are on the rise in Kenya and he wants to be part of that history.
“I want to come out and make Kenyans proud. I have great expectations if I am to make the final,” Nkanata said. “I shall continue to represent Kenya whenever called upon.”
Stage fright took a tall on Kenyan jumper Gladys Musyoki, who was making her first international appearance. Musyoki finished ninth in Group A of the qualification phase with a jump of 6.04m as Marlyne Ngoa from Cameroon posted 6.52 metres to lead four others into the final.
