By Chris Musumba and Agencies
For three years, Olympic 800m champion Pamela Jelimo had become accustomed to a string of frustrating dismal performance in international competition.
Jelimo finally put that behind as she got off the blocks to launch her campaign to defend the Olympic 800m title in London in August by returned to the winner’s podium in Lievin, France on Tuesday with a sub two minute run.
The performance leaves many with a new imagination of how far the Africa 800m record holder (1:54.01) could go. In her first ever indoor 800m race - and her second in competition after running 1,500m in Dusseldorf, Germany last Friday – Jelimo clocked an impressive 1:59.10 to get another Kenyan indoor record.
Her running also signified a new dimension in her effort to return to the past form. She quickly picked up her traditional front line running skills and led from start to the final 20 metres before she was beaten by Moroccan Maliki Akkaoui, who achieved 1:59.01 a world lead time and also a Moroccan record.
Applaud effort
Jelimo’s agent Barnabas Korir was quick to congratulate her performance saying that after numerous false starts, Jelimo was quickly giving herself a new hope getting her career off the cliff.
"Many had ruled her out, but I know the potential she has. It has all been about her mentality and not her form. She was did all the training, but lacked that mental push to excel. But after sitting out and seeing her career degenerate she has found the hunger to win again.
"It was all in her eyes, even though she did not win in Lievin on Tuesday, you could see that she gave it all. A clear sign that she is back in the frame to compete. I tell you she will be in her best form when we head to May," warned Korir.
That performance means that Jelimo has now qualified for the World Indoor Championships, which will be held in Istanbul, Turkey next month.
With many elite athletes opting to give the event a bye to focus on preparations for the Olympics, Istanbul might just give Jelimo the platform to complete her comeback and head to the Diamond League and Olympics with a superior mind of a champion.
World Indoor
"She is keen to run at the World Indoor. The first race was always going to be hard, but after jumping this hurdle, all is now in place.
"It was disappointing for her in Dusseldorf together with Helen Obiri. They ran so well to finish second and third, but were disqualified for stepping in the inner lane too soon. But her time in Dusseldorf of 4:07 beating Obiri, the national champion was a pointer that she is finally back in the game. Lievin is the answer to her critics though," added Korir.
Other Kenyan results saw 17-year-old Timothy Kiptum, the world Youth bronze medallist, finish second in the men 800m race behind Poland s European U23 Champion Adam Kszczot 1:44.57. Kitum clocked 1:45.96 ahead of Yuriy Borzakovskiy 1:46.08.
In the fast 3000 m Edwin Soi registered winning 7:32.56 ahead of young Isaiah Koech who improved his own world junior indoor record of 7:37.50 last year in Gent to 7:32.89. Alamirew Yenew was third in 7:33.30 ahead of Dusseldorf 5,000m winner Thomas Longosiwa 7:34.81.
