Mateelong is commanding police station after good command of steeplechase

2008 Olympics bronze medallist Richard Mateelong is now an OCS at Subukia Police Station. [Courtesy]

After retiring from a glorious athletics career with its adrenaline of competing at the pinnacle of sporting event, Olympics bronze medallist Richard Mateelong is now fully concentrating on his police work.

He is now an Officer Commanding Police Station (OCS) at Kirengero Police station in Subukia, Nakuru County. 

The 2008 Olympics Games bronze medalists belongs to the country’s golden generation of 3,000m steeplechase trio alongside showman Ezekiel Kemboi and Brimin Kipruto with whom they fiercely guarded steeplechase event as Kenya’s dynasty. 

Born in Lenape, Narok County in 1983, Mateelong made his breakthrough in the world of athletics at the 2007 Osaka World Championship where he won bronze in 3,000m steeplechase, before getting the same medal at the 2008 Olympics in Beijing, China.

The following year he won silver at Berlin World Championships before leading a podium sweep for Kenya at the 2010 Delhi Commonwealth Games. 

“I really enjoyed my running career, I was improving every season and winning an Olympics medal remains my proudest moment in the sport. Steeplechase is Kenyan event and we guarded it fully. 

“Unfortunately injuries cut short my career, I had to make a hard decision. In 2012 I struggled with injuries which made me miss out the selection spot at the Kenyan trials, it frustrated me and I had to make hard decision in 2013 to quit the sport I loved and still love,” Mateelong said. 

"After retiring, I made full dedication to my work at National Police Service, I was based at Kiganjo National Police Training College as an instructor. In 2015, I was transferred to National Police Senior Staff College in Loresho, Nairobi.”

Richard Mateelong. [Photo: Courtesy]

Since retiring, Mateelong who started running while still a student at Moi Secondary School Amalo in Olenguruone, has trained as an athletics coach and technical official and also graduated with a diploma in Sports Science from Laikipia University. 

“I still engage in athletics a lot, at the 2017 World Under-18 championship in Nairobi I was a technical official, there I got huge experience from the event, I have since enrolled for Sport Management Degree Course at Masinde Muliro University, I was to start the semester in May but it has been delayed because Covid-19 pandemic,” Mateelong stated. 

After leaving National Police Senior Staff Collage, he was posted in Nakuru last year as National Police in charge of sports in Rift Valley region before being deployed as an OCS at Kirengero Police Station Kabazi, Subukia this week. 

“I started discharging my duties at my new station actually this week, officers and the community are excited to see an athlete as an OCS," he said.

For many athletes, retirement is a concept that many do not wish to think about in great detail, but Mateelong has some pieces of advice to upcoming athletes is: “Sports career is very short, you will be lucky to go beyond ten years as an elite runner, that’s why job security is very important.”

Mateelong added: “injuries don’t know forms, it can knock anyone at anytime. In a blink of an eye, a career is gone, that’s why you need a fall back plan as an athlete. If have chance to join Kenyan forces don’t hesitate.” 

Some of the top runners with senior ranks include David Rudisha, Vivian Cheruiyot and Milcah Chemos who are all Chief Inspectors of Police.

Two- time world marathon champion Abel Kirui is an Assistant Superintendent of Police.