Surely Kenya must strike gold
Kenya's flagbearer Mercy Obiero leads the delegation during the opening ceremony of the 2014 Commonwealth Games at Celtic Park in Glasgow on July 23, 2014. AFP PHOTO/ ANDREJ ISACOVIC
What you need to know:
- Saturday, Kenyans will line up in the men’s 5,000m final (Frederick Kipruto, Moses Mukono) besides competing in qualifying races in the men’s steeplechase, women’s 1,500m and men’s 800m final.
- At the close of competition on Wednesday, the Czech Republic, topped the medals table with two gold medals with Kenya placed eighth with one silver and two bronze medals.
The next two days will bear great significance to Kenya’s medal hopes at the 15th IAAF World Junior Athletics Championships in Track Town USA.
With Uganda and Ethiopia both having struck gold, Team Kenya finds itself in an unfamiliar position of having to dig deep to scale higher the medal table after panning just the silver and two bronze medals on the first two days.
Thursday evening here (early Friday morning in Kenya) saw Kenyans competing in four finals inside one hour from 7:45pm (5:45am Friday morning, Kenyan time) in the men’s 400 metres (Alexander Sampao), women’s 800 metres (Maximila Imali, Margaret Wambui), women’s 3,000m (Lilian Kasait Rengeruk, Valentine Chepkwemoi Matieko) and men’s 1,500m (Hilary Cheruiyot Ngetich, Jonathan Kiplimo Sawe).
Then Saturday, Kenyans will line up in the men’s 5,000m final (Frederick Kipruto, Moses Mukono) besides competing in qualifying races in the men’s steeplechase, women’s 1,500m and men’s 800m final.
LAST BEATING
Meanwhile, when many Kenyans thought they had seen the last of Ethiopia’s world beating women stars with the fading away of multiple world and Olympic champions and record holders Meseret Defar and Tirunesh Dibaba, there was a surprise in store in the 5,000 metres at Hayward Field on Wednesday night.
This when the Ethiopian pair of Alemitu Haroye and Alemitu Hawi pounded the track in synchronised running, akin to two professional cyclists of a tandem bike, to take gold and silver, leaving the minor medal to Kenya.
Haroye won in 15 minutes 10.08 seconds while Hawi posted a 15:10.46 personal best for silver leaving Kenya’s Agnes Tirop a distant third in 15:43.12, but this despite a nagging thigh injury.
“It was a good contest,” Haroye who out sprinted her compatriot with 40 metres to go, said.
“At the start the conditions were not good but it got better towards the end.” Kenya’s Tirop, an 18-year-old Form One student at Kosirai Girls High School braved a late injury sustained here to fight for the bronze medal.
At the close of competition on Wednesday, the Czech Republic, topped the medals table with two gold medals with Kenya placed eighth with one silver and two bronze medals.
