Margaret Nyairera, the 2014 IAAF world junior 800m champion, struck Kenya’s third Olympic two-lap race medal in a too-close-to-call African affair at the Olympic Stadium yesterday morning.
And the runner from Endarasha, Nyandarua County said her bronze medal, which is the third jewel after Janeth Jepkosgei (silver) and Pamela Jelimo (gold) at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, was her biggest achievement.
She finished third behind South Africa’s Caster Semenya and Burundi’s world indoor champion Francine Niyonsaba.
“Having graduated from the juniors and now running against seniors and still able to win a bronze at the Olympics is a big achievement for me,” Nyairera said.
Nyairera, who trains in Kabiruini in Nyeri County, said although the race was tough she will fly back home with her head held high.
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Nyairera was Kenya’s lone ranger in the 800m battle after two other Kenyans, former world champion Eunice Sum and Winnie Chebet, failed to glide into finals.
“The race was really tough, first to compete against Semenya. When I started I felt a bit weak, but with time I was able to pick up and made sure I stuck with the leading group until the last minute,” she said.
Semenya was the firm favourite to win gold.
And expected, the script did not change. Semenya wore the crown, leaving Niyonsaba to settle for silver and doubts remained on the third slot in which most athletics die-hards were uncertain if Nyairera was fast enough to grab.
At the start of the race, Semenya showed no intent to storm into the lead as Niyonsaba controlled the race on the first lap before the South Africa summoned her sheer power in the final 100m to cement her place on the top spot.
By then, Nyairera made a brilliant surge as she approached the final 50 metres and summoned little energy to beat Canada’s Mellisa Bishop.
“The two athletes (Niyonsaba and Semenya) are strong and I want to say that I lost to better athletes.
“I feel happy to compete with champions and I am also a champion,” Nyairera said.
She said she was going to work on her speed work and endurance and will race in the IAAF Diamond League meeting in Lausanne, Switzerland after the Olympics.
