Games: Mutai outsprints fellow elites

Mark Mutai still views himself as a minnow before fellow elite athletes despite striking the jackpot by clinching gold and silver in New Delhi.

The Commonwealth 400m champion just couldn’t find the words to express why such a glorious reception party was laid out for him on his return from Delhi on Thursday.

But when he emerged from the airport entrance, Mutai was overwhelmed with emotions. He clearly stole the limelight that few people noticed the presence of the World and Commonwealth 5,000m champion Vivian Cheruiyot.

“It’s more than I expected. It is not every day that a sprinter gets such recognition. I am very happy,” said the soft spoken runner, who also had the 4x400m relay silver medal.

Mutai is enjoying the best of form and will take time to savour his Dehi victory. He travelled with Cheruiyot, Sylvia Kibet, Innes Chenonges, Joseph Birech, Daniel Salel and James Magut.

Mutai threw down the gauntlet to Athletics Kenya and the government to provide the necessary equipment and technical support to inspire younger athletes to take up sprints.

“My good performance didn’t come easy. The challenge was huge and it only required the best to excel. I’m happy with the performance. I began my season with training in Philadelphia, US, then returned home to prepare for Delhi,” said Mutai.

World Championships

One man who shares Mutai’s success is his coach Stephen Mwaniki. Challenged to show result by his boss Isaiah Kiplagat, the Kenya Prisons coach was swift to answer his critics and now waits to see what the federation will do to improve the plight of sprinters in the country.

“We have done well with what we had. Now it is time AK and the government helped us get through to the other side. The relay quartet of Mutai, Anderson Mureta, Vincent Mumo and Vincent Koskei, have all struggled and excelled. Now we need support to go the remaining distance,” he said.

Mwaniki asked for a modern gym to be set up at Nyayo National Stadium to help boost the athletes’ physique, which is crucial for sprinters.

With both Mutai and the relay team having qualified for the World Championships next year, Mwaniki said he will have to blend in younger athletes to learn the steps and replace the aging group.

“Our opponents have very young runners. We need to take that path and I will change a few of the people who were in Delhi and give the chance to the younger athletes,” he said.

But for Cheruiyot, running in Delhi was never an option. She had set her mind all along to compete for Kenya in the games and said it was wrong for elite athletes to pull out of such an event.

“Who makes an championship a success? It is the athletes. If tomorrow all of us pulled out of the Olympics, it would be a sham. I love competing for Kenya and respect the Commonwealth games. This medal is for Kenya and I love it,” she said.