Kenya: Fresh Crop of Talent Ready to Take On the World in France

Chris Musumba

26 June 2011

Nairobi — Many senior athletes labour to run the 800m race under one minute and 46 seconds, but that was no problem for 17-year-old Timothy Kitum, who triumphed in 1:45.8 in the two-lap race to earn a place in the Kenya team to the World Youth Championship.

However, Kitum is not basking in his newfound glory yet. Said Kitum:

“I know it is one thing to win here at the national level, and something else to win at the world stage. But I believe this is more challenging because nobody knows who their opponents are and I do not want to look at myself as a star. There is nothing I have won yet.”

And, as you would expect, Kitum has World 800m record holder David Rudisha 1:41.01 as his mentor. But is he the heir-apparent to the legacy that Rudisha is writing?

In 2005, Rudisha could only run 1:51.2 for the World Youth Championship and never made the cut. He had to wait until Beijing World Junior championship to emerge from the shadows and win the race.

But Kitum will be lucky to start his career with the elementary competition for the IAAF.

“It is not in the bag yet and I will not feel like a champion until I win in Lille. Rudisha is my idol and I want to be like him,” he said.

For Rudisha, it will be lovely for the younger athlete to look up to him for inspiration, but the real work will be by the youngster who need to walk their own path and in their blooming to conquer their opponents in Lille, France.

The World Youth Championship will be held from July 6-10 and Kenya faces a daunting task to successfully defend the overall title, which it won two years ago in Bressanone in Italy.

“That is why we are putting a lot of emphasis on consistence and hope we will be able to pull a fast one on the world again in Lille,” said Athletics Kenya’s youth coach Japhet Kemey.

Of course Kitum is not the biggest star in the Kenya youth team. There is Caroline Chepkoech, the Africa junior cross country champion and world junior cross country champion Faith Chepng’etich all keen to stamp their authority and claim some silverware on the track.

Chepkoech is dreaming of eclipsing her elder sister Mercy Cherono who triumphed in this competition in Italy. Chepkoech was named in the 22 member team for Kenya after the trials.

The team starts its residential training today. Chepkoech remained in the shadows of Zipporah Wanjiku, who won the women 3,000m race in 9:03.0 ahead of her time in 9:04.0.

“I believe I can stage a surprise in France and I will do more training,” said Chepkoech, a standard seven pupil at the Arsha Kibori Primary School in Kericho.

Prove his critics wrong

Another athlete to watch out for will be Agatha Jeruto, the Africa Youth 400m silver medallist, who will be running in the women’s 800m.

Throw in Norah Jeruto, an emerging steeplechaser, and the Kenya women’s team will produce fireworks.

In the boys’ side, William Malel and Patrick Mutunga are the emerging talents to look out for while Gilbert Kirui, the Africa 3,000m steeplechase champion, will be looking to prove his critics wrong in the water and hurdle race.

“They are part of the many growing talent off the production line around the country who have shown tremendous talent and it will be hard to sieve through and get the best,” said Kariuki Gekonyo, the team assistant coach.

Ethiopia and Kenya are such regular combatants at long distance running that the phrase “Rift Valley rivals” has almost become a cliché.

But when the two neighbouring countries go to war on the track once more in Lille, it will be a hard task for Kenya to defend their empire against Ethiopian opposition, with the two countries arguably the most thrilling ion the history of the IAAF World Youth Championships so far.

This is an event that has played a major role in almost all current stars ever since it was introduced in 1999 in Bydgoszcz, Poland.

Remember the war between Alice Timbilil, Ethiopia’s Meseret Defar, Vivian Cheruiyot and Australia’s Eloise Poppett in Poland over the 3,000m distance? Well they have kept the faith dominating the long distance races across the world.

Today, they rule the world of athletics. Cheruiyot is the world 5,000m champion, Timbilil ventured into road race and is the Amsterdam marathon champion while Defar is the World Indoor 3,000m champion.

The introductory event in IAAF list of competition is keen on exposing the novices in the sport. No wonder in the inaugural event in Poland, Several of the Kenyan runners, including men’s 3,000 metres winner Pius Muli, competed in Bydgoszcz without track spikes.

Muli’s family never afforded spikes and he had never owned a pair but he kept Kenya’s flag high and the country has always dominated the youth Championship.

Heralded quest for the top honours

In 2001, Debrecen Hungary, then 15-year-old Cherotich Kipkorir Ruto made sure Kenya’s legacy was maintained when she won the women 3,000m race again running bare feet.

But it was Allyson Felix of the USA 11.57 that herald her country’s quest for the top honours winning the women 100m as America won the overall title with 15 medals five of which were gold, seven silver and three bronze.

Kenya was second with ten medals – four gold, four silver and two bronze – edging out Russia and Australia.

Two years later in Sherbrooke, Canada the IAAF family came to know one man that would take the world of athletics by storm.

Though his performance did not raise any questions, he has come back to stake his claim as one of the greatest ever in athletics history.

Usain Bolt came to the fore in 2003 as the 16-year-old from Jamaica ran away from Michael Grant of the USA and crossed the line in 20.40, wiping out the previous mark of 20.72, set by Great Britain’s Timothy Benjamin at Bydgoszcz in 1999 over the 200m distance.

Today Bolt is the World and Olympic Champion in both 100m and 200m distance. The star performer of the championship was, however, Ronald Kipchumba Rutto.

The Kenyan not only set a new Championships record, but he wiped out a 20 year old World Best for the event set in 1983 by Mykola Matyushenko of 5:31.54 with his time of 5:30.27.

United States won the bragging rights with 14 medals in position one – six gold, four silver and four bronze – ahead of Russia with 12 – four fold, five silver and three bronze with Kenya settling for third after collecting nine medals – three gold, four silver and two bronze.

Top-notch performances

In 2005, when the games came to Africa in Marrakech, Morocco, Kenya was second with 11 medals after United States (13).

China and Russia were third and fourth, respectively, in a championship that saw the emergence of Veronica Nyaruai who run a championship record time in 3,000m of 9:01.61 to edge out Pauline Korikwiang (9:05.42).

Next was Ostrava in the Czech Republic in 2007 where Kenya reclaimed the 1,500m boys’ race among other top-notch performances.

Having lost out to Bahrain imports in Marrakech, Kenya picked it up and brought the four lap race gong home. Kenya finished second to USA again with Russia and Germany taking third and fourth positions.

There was the first race for Mercy Cherono and Caroline Chepkurui Tuigong as 11 championship records fell with 152 countries taking part bring in a total of 1,228 athletes.

But the jewel in the crown was won in Bressanone, Italy two years ago when a record number of 46 countries won at least medals.

For the first time since the inaugural edition of the Championships Kenya topped the final medal table with six gold, seven silver and one bronze medals with an incredible tally of sven medals (four gold and three silver) grabbed on the last day.

AllAfrica – All the Time