Kenya keen to end 17-year gold drought in 5000m race
As the World Athletics Championships, begin tomorrow in Oregon, US, Kenyan athletes and their coaches will be scratching their heads on how the country can post impressive results in some races and finish on top of the medal table.
Of great concern is the elusive gold medal in 5000m men race which has slipped the hands of Kenyans for the past 17 years.
Kenya last bagged gold in the race in 2005 through Benjamin Limo, during the Helsinki World Athletics Championships in Finland. Presently, the team is banking on Nicholas Kimeli, Jacob Krop and Daniel Ebenyo Simiyu and change the country’s fortunes in the race.
This year Kimeli has a personal best time of 12:46;33 while Simiyu clinched silver in the recent Africa Athletics Championships held in Mauritius. Simiyu is making his debut at the World Athletics Championships.
“I am confident of ending the gold drought in the race since I have trained well enough and in good shape. I know it will be tough exercise, but we will plan well with my compatriots to get the much-needed gold,” said Kimeli on a local radio station on Tuesday.
He says it is indeed long since the National Anthem is sung in Men 5000m saying this time around he will do something about it. They alive to the fact that they will be facing stiff competition from athletes from Uganda and Ethiopian who are equally a force to reckon with in the athletics arena.The defending champion is Mukhtar Edris of Ethiopia and Joshua Cheptegei will give the Kenyan athletes an acid test during the championships.
Simiyu and Krop asserted that they are not going to Oregon as mere paricipants but as serious athletes who will not return without a medal. They vowed to make to the podium in the championships.
