World mourns Olympic champ Wanjiru’s death

London

Ethiopian distance running great Haile Gebrselassie, a two-time Olympic 10,000-meter champion and world record-holder in the marathon, said on his Twitter feed that he was “totally shocked” by the news.

“My thoughts are with his family and all his friends and colleagues,” Gebrselassie said.

“Of course one wonders if we as an athletics family could have avoided this tragedy,” he said.

American marathon runner Ryan Hall posted on Twitter: “Incredibly sad news about Sammy. I am shocked and saddened.”

Olympic 5,000 and 10,000-meter champion Kenenisa Bekele said he looked up to Wanjiru as a great athlete.

“I was looking forward to meet him in the future at the marathon distance and to race against him,” the Ethiopian said.

“Death is always sad, but in his case, he was a young man and a great athlete, so I am touched by that,” said Tsegaye Kebede, the Olympic bronze medallist who last raced against Wanjiru in their epic battle in Chicago last October.

Released on bail

“I remember our exciting race in Chicago and I was looking forward to meet him again in a new battle. My thoughts are with his family.”

Wanjiru had a history of domestic problems. Last December, he was charged with wounding his security guard with a rifle and threatening to kill his wife and maid.

The runner denied all charges and was released on bail. (READ: Olympic champion Wanjiru charged)

Jos Hermens, the manager of Gebrselassie and Bekele and one of the most respected long-distance experts in the field, said Wanjiru saw too much success too early in his career.

“It is incredibly sad. An Olympic champion at 21, he was poised to become the world-record holder in the marathon.

“He could not deal with all the luxury. It all went too fast, too much money,” Hermens said.

“You could not say anything bad about him. He just could not deal with it all. He was a lion of a man, and he departed us in much the same way.”

Accomplished runner

“Sammy Wanjiru was an accomplished runner who will be remembered for winning the first Olympic gold medal for Kenya in marathon and setting a new Olympic record in the process,” the International Olympic Committee said in a statement.

“Our thoughts are with his family and friends.” The International Association of Athletics Federatios (IAAF), said in a statement: “The IAAF is saddened by the news that Samuel Wanjiru, the 2008 Olympic champion in the Marathon.

“One of the most talented long distance runners of his generation, Wanjiru will be most remembered for his remarkable victory at the 2008 Olympic Games where he became Kenya’s first Olympic champion in the Marathon.”