Running News Daily

How mismanagement cost Kenya's race walkers spot at Paris Olympics

Kenya's race walking team faced unexpected setbacks en route to a crucial Olympic qualifier in Antalya.

Kenya's aspirations for a strong showing at the Paris Olympic Games suffered a severe blow due to a logistical nightmare that prevented the national race walking team from competing at the World Athletics Race Walking Team Championships in Antalya, Turkey.

The team, which included notable athletes like 2022 world bronze medalist Samuel Gathimba and African Games champion Emily Ngii, embarked on their journey from Nairobi to Antalya, anticipating to secure their spots at the upcoming Olympics. 

However, a critical error in their travel arrangements led to unexpected detours and delays that ultimately dashed their hopes.

The ordeal began when the team, under the guidance of Athletics Kenya, boarded a Turkish Airlines flight at midnight on Thursday, destined for Istanbul. 

After a seven-hour and twenty-minute flight, they were supposed to catch another flight directly to Antalya. Instead, they were rerouted to Ercan International Airport in Northern Cyprus, adding unnecessary travel and complications.

Upon arriving in Cyprus, the situation worsened. The team was detained at Ercan International Airport due to the lack of necessary transit visas. 

As a result, they were forced to spend two nights sleeping at the airport, a distressing experience that left the athletes disheartened and exhausted.

“It’s quite disappointing that we had to go all the way only to be detained in Cyprus where we slept at the airport for two days,” said a team member in a statement to Daily Nation.

The confusion stemmed from the Ministry's oversight in flight arrangements, which inexplicably included a layover in Cyprus instead of a more straightforward route from Istanbul to Antalya.

“The ministry was in charge of the flight arrangement and we don’t know why they rerouted us to Cyprus when it was easy to connect from Istanbul to Antalya,” the source added.

While the Kenyan team struggled with bureaucratic red tape and logistical errors, the championships proceeded without them. 

The event saw stellar performances from athletes like double world champion Kimberly Garcia of Peru and Sweden's Perseus Karlstrom, who claimed the 20km women and men's titles respectively. 

Meanwhile, Spain and the People's Republic of China took home the men’s and women’s team titles, with Italy winning the inaugural Marathon Race Walk Mixed Relay gold.

This misadventure not only cost the athletes a chance to compete on a global stage but also the opportunity to qualify for the Paris Olympics. 

Athletics Kenya is reported to have promised to prepare a formal statement addressing the issue and to reassess their travel coordination strategies in light of the repercussions of this incident.

(04/23/2024) Views: 138 ⚡AMP
by Festus Chuma

Veteran racewalker Samuel Gathimba eyes the Olympic Games

Veteran racewalker Samuel Gathimba will be out to fly the Kenyan flag high as he eyes the Olympic Games and All Africa Games.

Three-time African race walk champion Samuel Gathimba is working round the clock to ensure he represents Team Kenya well.

Gathimba will be returning to the All Africa Games in Accra, Ghana where he will seek to bag another gold medal for Kenya.

He has won the All Africa Games title once, during the 2019 edition held in Morocco, Rabat, and settled for silver in the 2015 edition of the event that was held in Brazzaville, Congo. The multiple national champion has already exuded confidence about winning another gold medal.

“I will automatically be going for another title…my hope is to go and represent my country well and win a gold medal,” Gathimba said.

The veteran race walker hit the qualifying time for the Olympic Games last year during the World Championships in Budapest, Hungary.

He posted a personal best time of 1:18:34 to finish among the top 10 and reveled at the remarkable achievement which leaves him longing to fly the Kenyan flag high in Paris.

He was in action at the third Athletics Kenya weekend meet held at the Nyayo National Stadium where he beat a strong field of young and talented walkers to claim top honors.

“Without a doubt, I already qualified and this is just training towards the global showpiece. My coach and I have been working together and I can confidently say that my body is responding well,” Gathimba said.

(01/30/2024) Views: 231 ⚡AMP
by Abigael Wuafula

Kenyans race walkers Gathimba and Ngii eye redemption in Commonwealth Games

Africa 20 kilometers race walking champions Samuel Gathimba and Emily Ngii are hoping to redeem themselves at the Commonwealth Games scheduled for July 28 to August 8 in Birmingham, England where the discipline is shortened to 10km.

The duo missed out on medals in the 20km Walk at the World Athletics Championships which ended on Sunday in Eugene, USA.

Gathimba, who came closest to a medal after finishing fourth in Eugene, has predicted a fierce battle in Birmingham.

"I arrived here (UK) on Tuesday night to a very cold Birmingham. I hope the weather will improve. I'll start training on Wednesday. I have never done 10km walk abroad, so this will be my first time. The challenge with 10km is it's like 'ugali sosa' (not the main meal), so it will be very fast.

I need to get my calculations right in order to win. Doing so will also help me get invited more to competitions," said Gathimba.

He timed one hour, 19 minutes and 25 seconds just a few seconds behind medalists Toshikazu Yamanishi (1:19:07), Koki Ikeda (1:1914) and Perseus Karlstrom (1:19:18).

Ngii struggled with a stomach ache from 10km-mark on her way to 30th place finish.

"I have improved a lot after getting treatment. I'm ready. It's the first time I'm competing in 10km outside Kenya and I'm ready to bring a medal bad home, God willing," said Ngii.

Walk coach Benjamin Mbusya also expressed optimism in the duo.

"Obviously, some competition has been reduced because not all countries that were at the World Athletics Championships in Oregon are in Commonwealth Games. But I can assure you that we will get some medals and gold is possible," he said.

Gathimba won bronze at the 2018 Commonwealth Games in Gold Coast, Australia and bagged the same medal at the Race Walking World Championships in Oman in March this year. 

(07/29/2022) Views: 775 ⚡AMP
by Geoffrey Anene

All five reigning world champions named on Kenya's team for Oregon

All five of Kenya’s champions from Doha in 2019 will defend their titles at the World Athletics Championships Oregon22 on 15-24 July.

Beatrice Chepkoech, Ruth Chepngetich, Timothy Cheruiyot, Conseslus Kipruto and Hellen Obiri have been named on the Kenyan team for the event at Hayward Field, where they will be joined by athletes including Olympic champions Peres Jepchirchir, Faith Kipyegon and Emmanuel Korir.

Obiri won her second consecutive world 5000m title in Doha and has been selected for that event as well as the 10,000m, joined by Margaret Chelimo in both.

Chepkoech and Kipruto defend their 3000m steeplechase titles, while Cheruiyot will look to return to the top in the 1500m after securing silver behind Norway’s Jakob Ingebrigtsen in Tokyo.

Chepngetich will be joined by Angela Tanui and Judith Jeptum in the women’s marathon, as well as Olympic champion Jepchirchir. After Tokyo, two-time world half marathon champion Jepchirchir went on to win the New York and Boston marathons and has been added to the team for Oregon.

Kenya finished second in the medal table behind USA in Doha three years ago with five gold, two silver and four bronze medals.

Kenyan team for Oregon

Women400m: Mary Moraa800m: Naomi Korir, Jarinter Mawia, Mary Moraa1500m: Winnie Chebet, Edinah Jebitok, Faith Kipyegon, Judy Kiyeng5000m: Beatrice Chebet, Margaret Chelimo, Gloria Kite, Hellen Obiri10,000m: Margaret Chelimo, Sheila Chepkurui, Hellen Obiri3000m steeplechase: Beatrice Chepkoech, Jackline Chepkoech, Celliphine Chespol, Purity Kirui20km race walk: Emily NgiiMarathon: Ruth Chepngetich, Peres Jepchirchir, Judith Jeptum, Angela Tanui

Men100m: Ferdinand Omanyala400m: Emmanuel Korir800m: Wycliffe Kinyamal, Emmanuel Korir, Cornelius Tuwei, Emmanuel Wanyonyi1500m: Timothy Cheruiyot, Abel Kipsang, Charles Simotwo, Kumari Taki5000m: Nicholas Kimeli, Jacob Krop, Daniel Simiu10,000m: Rodgers Kwemoi, Daniel Mateiko, Stanley Waithaka3000m steeplechase: Leonard Bett, Abraham Kibiwott, Benjamin Kigen, Conseslus Kipruto400m hurdles: Moitalel Mpoke20km race walk: Samuel GathimbaMarathon: Lawrence Cherono, Geoffrey Kamworor, Barnaba Kiptum

(07/03/2022) Views: 704 ⚡AMP
by world athletics

World 1500m champion added to Kenyan Olympic team as 18-year-old dropped

World 1500 meters champion Timothy Cheruiyot, left out of the Kenyan Olympic team after finishing outside the top three qualifying places at last month’s trials, has been added to the squad for Tokyo 2020. 

Cheruiyot, pictured limping away from the trials with a hamstring injury, won the Wanda Diamond League meeting in Monaco last Friday (July 9) in a personal best of 3min 28.28sec, the fastest time run since 2015 and seventh best ever.

The 25-year-old from Bomet expressed hopes after his win that he would be able try to add the Olympic gold medal to his world title and he is now due to do that against a field that will include his perennial 20-year-old Norwegian rival Jakob Ingebrigtsen, European record holder with 3:28.68.

"I am thrilled to be part of the Kenyan Olympic team," Cheruiyot, now the favourite for gold, told Agence-France Presse. 

 "I am in better shape than I was during the trials and I promise to deliver a medal for Kenya in Tokyo."

Cheruiyot’s addition has been made possible by the ineligibility of the relatively unknown 18-year-old who finished second at the trials, Kamar Etyang.

He has had to be removed from the team because he does not have the minimum number of three out-of-competition tests that Kenyan athletes must fulfil in the 10 months before any major championship following the country’s placement in category A of the World Athletics and World Anti-Doping Agency watchlist.

Kenya's Olympics general team manager Barnaba Korir told The Nation that Athletics Kenya had petitioned the Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) over the issue of Etyang without success.

"It’s really unfortunate that Etyang had to be dropped due to the AIU rules which require one to be tested three times out of competition," Korir said.

"We have explained this to the athlete and he has understood the situation we are in."

He added that the AIU were unable to make exceptions to the ruling.

"We were in the same situation in 2019 when two athletes Michael Kibet and Daniel Simiu were dropped from the team that was heading to the World Championships [in Doha]," Korir said.

"This is because Kenya is in category A and we need to strictly follow the rules so that we can get out of the woods in future."

Cheruiyot had made it clear after his Monaco victory that he was hopeful of being in the team for Tokyo 2020.

"I missed competition a lot after spending a lot of time in Kenya where I had a few issues like my hamstring injury and after also losing a relative in my family on the day of the Kenyan trials explaining why I missed out on making the team," he said.

"I am therefore happy I am back again after all this.

"Hopefully that will be the deciding performance to make the team for Tokyo.

"My hope now is to be in another Olympics, that is where my mindset is and I will be very happy if I achieve that."

Ingebrigtsen, reportedly unable to train for the preceding fortnight because of a bacterial infection, finished second, with Spain’s Mohamed Katir setting a national record of 3:28.76 in second place.

Three other athletes originally named for the Kenyan team for Tokyo have been dropped - racewalkers Samuel Gathimba and Emily Ngii and 400m hurdler Moitalel Mpoke.

Kenya will send 40 athletes, mainly runners, to Tokyo 2020, which are due to open on July 23 with the athletics programme running from July 30 to August 8.

 

(07/15/2021) Views: 1,112 ⚡AMP
by Mike Rowbottom

The Gold Coast Commonwealth Games Had A Thrilling Start this morning

Dane Bird-Smith and Tom Bosworth ensured that athletics action at the Gold Coast Commonwealth Games had a thrilling start as they battled for the 20km race walk title on Currumbin Beachfront on Sunday morning. Roared to victory by a home crowd, Australia’s Olympic bronze medallist Bird-Smith broke the Games record to secure gold, clocking 79:34 to finish four seconds ahead of England’s Bosworth, who smashed his British record for silver. A further 13 seconds back, Samuel Gathimba claimed bronze for Kenya. The race was about redemption for Bosworth, devastated after his disqualification at the IAAF World Championships in London last summer, the Rio Olympics sixth-placer was determined to bounce back in Australia and he did so in superb style. After putting in a surge half way into the race, which was passed in 39:57, Bosworth was happy to let Bird-Smith and Gathimba move to the front. The Brit closed the gap and with 6km to go the race was on Games record pace. Friends off the track and road but rivals in competition, neither Bosworth nor Bird-Smith was willing to give in and the gold medal battle went all the way down to the closing stages, as the Australian used the home support to help him move away over the final 600m. “I’m so pleased with this medal and to be up there with Dane,” said Bosworth. “He’s a really good mate so I am really pleased for him. Athletics Weekly reporting (04/08/2018) Views: 1,573 ⚡AMP