Caxias Do Sul — Kenya opened its account at the 24th Summer Deaflympics with two medals, wining silver and bronze in the women's 10,000m final.
Serah Wangari scooped silver while Grancy Kandagor bagged bronze to enable Kenya not only open its medal account at the delayed 2021 Deaf Games, but also win the first ever medal in the women's 10,000m at the event.
The event which was the first final of the event, attached nine athletes led by three Kenyans who bossed the race for the better part until halfway when one dropped after picking a knee injury after falling down.
A confident Wangari who was favourite to win the race after the best dropped, was heading for victory but with two laps to go, she was out of gas to force her opponent from Mexico to overtake her and go all the way to win the race.
"I was getting abit exhausted but I tried my best, I worked hard because I knew I could make it, so I kept on going because my objective was to get a medal and I wanted to make sure that when I go back home I have something to show, so I feel that I have done well though its not a performance I was anticipating," Wangari told media after the race.
The weather was very cold with degree Celsius falling down to 10, something that Wangari claimed affected her strategy to hunt down the gold.
"The weather was very cold that make my knees to feel weak, but I decided that I will focus on my target that was to get gold, it was my first time to run on such weather and I can say I did my best," Wangari added.
Wangari will be looking to make amends in the women's 5,000m final Saturday next week where she will be doubling.
"On her part, Kandagor blamed the injury she picked from the race as a major stumbling block to winning gold.
"Our plan was to sweep the podium but unfortunately i did not happen. When we started I was motivate, I wanted to win for Team Kenya, when I was running I fell and that is what costed me. I plan to continue because I want to do Kenya proud."
Head Coach Samuel Kibet said that she is still hopeful of surpassing the 2017 medal where Kenya bagged a total of 16 medals, 5 gold, 5 silver and 6 bronze.
"We had planned to sweep the medal. It is the first time we are getting a medal in long distsnce women, they had a tough competitors but they are out best, we have now oped the medal account," Coach Kibet said.
