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Kenya: Athletics - Juniors Face Stiff Challenge to Win the Steeplechase
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The Nation (Nairobi)
4 July 2008
Posted to the web 4 July 2008
Nairobi
Kenya faces a challenge in its quest to conquer the world in the men 3,000m steeplechase and recapture the 4x400m relay race in the World Junior championship which starin Bydgoszcz, Poland on Tuesday.
Assistant coach Bonface Tirem Chereng said despite Kenya's long history in the water and hurdle race, it was becoming increasingly difficult to rule the roost as the opposition has narrowed the gap between them and the Kenyans.
Uganda and Ethiopia have picked some of the best talent this season with Benjamin Kiplagat (Uganda) having run the second fastest time in the junior category of 8:14 while Ethiopia's Nahom Mesfin who finished fourth in the Africa Championship, clocking 8:50.21 has improved his personal best to 8:13.00 posted in Doha.
"Kiplagat was second to Richard Matelong in Hengelo Grand Prix and he has shown that he can challenge for the top honours while Mesfin has also the fastest time. It will be challenging and good to see how our athletes fair on with them," said Chereng.
Kenya will be represented by both Patrick Tarer (8:29.00) and Jonathan Muia (8:30.01) with the qualifying mark being 9:10.0. The duo have impressed the coach and looked strong during the trials. Chereng is confident they can cope with the opposition.
Head coach Kariuki Gikonyo said Kenya will be going for gold medal in the 4x400m relay in which he intends to use Sylvester Kirwa, hurdlers John Kituu and Julius Rotich and one of the 800m runners Fredrick Musyoki and James Magut.
Javelin thrower Julius Yego in the team. The 19-year-old former Kapsabet Boys High school student has a personal best throw of 72.0 metres using an 800g javelin which is reserved for the seniors. The junior javelin weighs 700g while the qualifying distance for the junior event is 66m.
"This shows that he has the capacity to win for us a gold medal in this championship," said Gikonyo.
Kenya, champions in the laste event in Beijing in 2006 with six gold, seven silver and two bronze medals, will be the team to beat in Bydgoszcz.
Gikonyo won Kenya's first title at this level in in Santiago, Chile, in 2000, a feat he repeated two years ago in Beijing.
A total of 183 out the 213 IAAF members countries have entered teams to the championships.
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The next greatest number of participating teams for this world Athletics Series event, which were inaugurated in 1986 in Athens Greece, was the 176 countries that competed at the previous edition two years ago in Beijing, China.
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