Inconsolable Ita Nao vows to bounce back
What you need to know:
Favourite Zhekai Liu from China lived to his billing to haul a personal best of 77.54m to win gold as South Africa’s Johannes Schlebusch settled for silver in 75.68. Another Chinese Quingshu Song took bronze in 73.64.
He was using running spikes instead of the proper javelin shoes.
Ita Nao was inconsolable.
His dream was to claim a podium place finish at the back drop of the watching role model and World javelin champion Julius Yego.
However, that didn’t happen despite the athlete from Narok South snatching a personal best of 64.66, which saw him finish ninth overall in the javelin final on Thursday.
Favourite Zhekai Liu from China lived to his billing to haul a personal best of 77.54m to win gold as South Africa’s Johannes Schlebusch settled for silver in 75.68. Another Chinese Quingshu Song took bronze in 73.64.
There was something amiss with Nao’s attire that impeded a good show from the class seven pupil at Olive Primary School in Narok South. He was using running spikes instead of the proper javelin shoes.
“The spikes slowed my charge on the track hence I couldn’t move to execute my throw well,” said Nao. “I think I did my best despite the wrong shoes and I know I will go far.”
But just like a true warrior, Nao said the poor show will not bring him down as he intends to aim higher just like his role model Yego, who is also the Olympic silver medallist. “I want to make the team for the World Under-20 Championships next year.”
Well, Yego perfected his skills in javelin by watching videos on YouTube, earning himself the nick name ‘YouTube man’.
Athletics Kenya youth committee chairman Barnabas Korir blamed the bureaucratic bottlenecks between the sports ministry and treasury that have seen the delay in clearance of the athletes training and competition kit at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport.
"We ordered the equipment on time but it’s stuck at the airport. I have tried to have it cleared but there is a problem at the sports ministry and treasury over taxation and clearance," said Korir.
