By Mutwiri Mutuota
Delvine Relin Meringor, fourth finisher at last year’s World Cross in Edinburgh, Scotland, will have another go at the global event in Amman after injury ruled out Judith Chepkoech from the national junior women’s team.
With 12 days before Kenya team’s departure for the Jordanian capital, Chepkoech, who was given a wildcard for the 37th World Cross after finishing seventh (22:32.9) at the February 21 national trials, was dropped from the team at the advice of the medical team.
"She was suffering from a recurrent muscle strain and doctors recommended she should not continue with training. The panel of selectors settled on Meringor, who has the experience at this stage.
"We hope that is the only change we make to the team since it is our intention for the team to go as it is," Athletics Kenya (AK) general secretary, David Okeyo, told reporters yesterday.
It would have been the first time for Chepkoech, a standard five pupil at Kimaiyo Primary, to don the famous red, green and black strip. The sixth born in a family of 10 enjoyed a rich vein of form before the trials, finishing third in the 6km race at the Kisii and Eldoret KCB/AK cross-country series meetings.
Meringor, who finished third at last year’s national trials to seal her ticket to Edinburgh, finished fourth to become the second-placed Kenyan in the 6km race behind silver medallist Irene Chebet Cheptai. West Pokot born Meringor clocked 22:46.0 for 12th at the national trials for Amman.
No pace setters
Elsewhere, coaches have ruled out deploying runners as ‘rabbits’ (pacesetters) as the country seeks to reclaim all individual and team titles it lost to Ethiopia in Edinburgh.
"No way, we shall not sacrifice any athlete!" exclaimed assistant coach, David Letting adding, "Everybody in the team has a chance to score and win a medal in the individual bracket and prize money that comes along with it.
"Therefore, we prepare them to be at their best condition to challenge for the podium while also being mindful of forging them to a unit," the veteran trainer added.
For the first time the global premier cross-country running event will feature six runners in each category (junior women is the other) with four scoring points for the team.
At previous World Cross editions, nine runners (six scoring) were allowed in the men’s 12km long race with six in other classes.
At the team’s residential training camp at Kigari, coaches were categorical that all athletes would be given an equal chance to chase honours.
A total of $280,000 (Sh22.47m) in prize money will be paid by IAAF for the two senior races at the March 28 Amman World Cross. Podium finishers will earn Sh2.408m (gold), Sh1.204m, (silver) and Sh802,700, (bronze) while top teams in the senior races will share Sh1.605m.
Kids athletics
Second and third placed squads will earn $16,000 (Sh1.284m) and $12,000 (Sh963,240).
The delayed Kenya’s Kids Athletics programme is set to roll off as a pilot project in 10 schools.
This is after 10 primary school teachers from 11 provincial affiliates of Athletics Kenya (AK) concluded a three-day seminar to impart them with know-how to start the projects in their stations.
During the close of the seminar yesterday, AK chairman, Isaiah Kiplagat, said the initiative that was started five years ago by world body IAAF was yet to take off here.
