Grace Momanyi's graceful finish

By clinching gold in the women’s 10,000m at the just-ended Commonwealth Games in India, Grace Momanyi, 29, proved that good things come to those who wait. MUTWIRI MUTUOTA brings us her story

“I can’t believe it! At last, at long last, I have won it,” she said at the bowels of the stadium after completing her lap of honour to resounding cheers from the Kenyan contingent at the venue.

Momanyi painstakingly went through intense therapy to work her way back into shape and, two years later, she proved queen of the field by clinching the national cross country title and an automatic ticket to the 2008 Edinburgh World Cross.

Contrary to her expectations, her moment in the sun had not arrived.

At the March 30 event, Momanyi finished 10th in the senior women’s race and missed out on the team silver medal her country won.

Her resolve undeterred, she dusted herself and qualified for her maiden Africa Athletics Championships in Addis Ababa .

There, she went on to run the race of her life in the women’s 5000m final as she resolutely took the fight to host runners led by then world champion over the distance, Meseret Defar.

In a frenetic finale where both timed a dead heat 15:50.19, Momanyi was awarded bronze by technical officials who ruled after a long delay that her Ethiopian rival had dipped two-hundredth of a second faster.

In tears

Stadium screen displays appeared to show otherwise and the fact that the eventual winner, Meselech Melkamu appeared to block her as they came for the finish further entrenched the sense of injustice she felt. Momanyi received her medal in tears.

In July, she made the Beijing Olympics 10,000m team and was subsequently named assistant captain for the Kenyan team.

In the absence of skipper Wilfred Bungei, Momanyi proudly bore her country’s flag into the iconic Bird’s Nest during the opening ceremony.

Her Olympic joy soon degenerated into a terrible nightmare after she was dropped from the team in a haze of controversy on the eve of the race and her place taken by reserve Peninah Arusei who crashed to a finish at position 18th.

The official line provided by Athletics Kenya (AK) stated ‘Coaches recommended her removal since she has lost her form in training’ but reports elsewhere alleged Momanyi paid the ultimate price for resisting untoward advances from her managers.

Flanked by her supportive husband and coach Timothy upon her return, a grieving Momanyi told this reporter, “God knows these things they are saying are not true. I believe one day, the truth will come out but I have forgiven them.”

Named ambassador

Her plight and tear-stained face elicited an outpouring of sympathy and round condemnation of her treatment at the hands of federation officials who were compelled to ditch inclusion of reserves for future international events.

AK appeared to atone for their maltreatment of the athlete when they awarded her wildcard selection for last year’s Berlin World Championships to compete in the 10,000m race.

With her Addis Ababa hurt at the hands of Meseret and Meselech still fresh in mind, Momanyi sacrificed her medal ambitions to exact retribution during the first track final of the championships.

During the race, she set upon running down the Ethiopian pair as teammate Linet Masai conserved her energy.

As they came for the finish, her pace making duties bore fruit as both Meseret and Meselech failed to match Masai’s kick as Kenya ended Ethiopia’s ten year choke hold on the women’s 25-lap title.

“I did not win a medal here but I’m very happy to have helped my teammate get gold. We planned to wear them down during the race instead of waiting to kick at the finish where they beat us. Linet is stronger at finishing and that is why I accepted to do all the pacing especially when our teammate Florence (Kiplagat) dropped injured and God made our plan work,” Momanyi who ran 30:52.25 for fourth ahead of Meseret told yours truly in Berlin.

AK named Momanyi among the ambassadors for Nairobi 2010 African Athletics Championships but a slight injury put paid to her hopes of featuring at the July 28 to August 1 event.

Despite bad weather

When the new Delhi Commonwealth Games beckoned, the federation once again gave her direct entry to the event and for once, fate fought on her side.

First, she lined up in a final with only eight starters among them three home runners who frankly, are not famed for their distance running prowess.

Secondly, Masai, who has been unbeaten by her compatriots over the distance in the last two years, announced her eleventh hour withdrawal from the event citing fatigue.

Could this have been her way of saying thank you for Berlin?

“I would still have given it my best go if Masai was here. Sure, it would have made the race more challenging but this victory was not easy as it looks since we had to compete against bad weather.”

With AK declining to name a replacement for the world champion, Momanyi proven track pedigree over teammate and road race expert Doris Changeiywo was to be the clincher when they lined for the gun.

After discarding all contestants, the Kenyan pair beat the last eight laps unchallenged and at the bell, Momanyi pressed her advantage and gracefully sprinted clear of Changeiywo (32:36.97) to exorcise all painful ghosts that have haunted her career.

Dedicate win to family

“Yes, at last, at long last, I have it. I have been through so much pain but God has worked his miracle. This shows if you keep knocking and believing, the door will eventually open,” an ecstatic Momanyi offered with a dazzling smile and tears, this time of joy, streaming down her face.

Team coach, Nicholas Kilisio, put her through to hubby Timothy and son Billy on his mobile phone moments later and there was no mistaking the rapturous delight.

“I dedicate this to my family since they have been praying so hard for this day.

I’m glad to be home so I can celebrate with them.”

Whatever the circumstances that combined to hand her the top prize, no one can begrudge Momanyi her long awaited triumph.