It is the year of the girls in Beijing contest

What you need to know:

  • With the Games just hours underway, it looks as strong a female team as Kenya has ever had
  • The Vice President and the Sports Minister are in Beijing

The 2008 Beijing Games are now underway after the fantastically huge opening ceremony.

In what are almost undoubtedly the most visually impressive and the most beautiful Olympics ever held, the world’s eyes will be trained on Beijing for the next 16 days despite all the protests, pollution concerns and talk of boycotts surrounding these Games.

The setting is spectacular, smog or no smog, and if the Olympics live up to their surroundings there’s no doubt that they will be a success though you have to be here to appreciate the reality of what Beijing has done.

Even more impressive is the cultural conjugation that comes with this international union of sport and culture. That is part of the whole core of the Olympic movement and enjoying the cultural exchange is very much part of that movement.

The 29th Olympiad will witness one very strong Kenyan team full of promise, experience, and desire to make history and bring back more medals than before.

As always, expectations are high for any national team participating in the Olympics, but the team in Beijing will have added pressure to match or exceed last year’s Osaka, Japan championships feat.

But I think that there’s a strong draw for Kenya when competing in Asia at a major Games. The last time the Olympics were in the East at the ’88 Seoul Games, Kenya produced its most memorable performance ever.

Then, Kenyan men captured gold in all events from the 800m to the 5,000. It was the most successful Olympic campaign for our nation.

So it is that time once again where patriotism is at its peak as millions of Kenyans watching on TV will cheer its team as they take on the world.

The Vice President and the Sports Minister, who are in Beijing, will see the importance of Kenyan success first hand, and the value of Government support for Kenya to reach, and preferably exceed the target of 13 medals in China this summer.

I am particularly thrilled about our women’s team to Beijing as they are generating more excitement than the men and this could just be the year for Kenya to unveil its first “golden girl”.

Since our women started to compete in the track and field events at the Olympic Games, Kenya has produced just three medallists. All silver!

So, with the Games just hours underway, it looks as strong a female team as Kenya has ever had, but who will be our golden girl this time?

Perhaps Pamela Jelimo has the best chance in the 800m. Will Janeth Jepkosgei replicate her world 800m gold result of Osaka?

Or will Catherine Ndereba finally take that elusive marathon gold? Will the steeplechase duo of Eunice Jepkorir and Ruth Bosibori match their male counterparts on the podium?

But, expect some surprises! As with any championships, they provide the opportunity for someone’s moment to shine. Past Olympics have proven that isn’t always the fastest that bring home the gold, rather the smarter ones.

Fast times are not an issue at the Olympics and with other variables coming into play….pollution, heat and humidity… we could very well see new names on the podium.

So I’ll make a safe bet of four gold medals for Kenya. Anything less will be a disappointment as I feel that the team can achieve much more. Let us all support our national team as they elicit a tremendous amount of national pride and patriotism.