Kenyan athlete says enough is enough…

At 40 years and with several accolades and medals from national and continental competitions, David Kimutai says his body can’t take it anymore.

The KDF staffer belongs to that revered group of athletes, who have consistently remained at the top for long and, more so, in an event not considered interesting by many of his peers and even upcoming athletes.

For one to have taken part in such number of walking competitions and remained at the top, he is only happy to have brought up others walkers to take over from him when he finally quits next year.

“I have done my bit. My body cannot take the heat any more. Let these young ones take over and I am happy that (Samuel Kereri) Gathimba has won silver here,” he told FeverPitch on Tuesday after their event ended.

“After next year’s Olympics, I want to concentrate on coaching. I have started coaching and have attended one course at the IAAF Regional Development Centre in Kasarani,” said Kimutai, who, despite his age, finished fourth in the event won by South Africa’s Shange Lebogang. The winner recorded 1:26.43 and the runner-up 1:26.44. Wayne Snyman was third in 1:27.32 and Kimutai fourth in 1:29.54. Simon Wachira was fifth in 1:30.03.

This is Kimutai’s fourth AAG after 1995 in Zimbabwe, where he won a silver medal, 1999 in Johannesburg where he won and Algeria in 2007, where he again finished second. He missed the 2003 edition in Abuja because he was deployed by KDF to Eritrea for a one-year peace keeping mission.

On the continental scene, he won gold in African Championships in Bambous, Mauritius in 2006, silver in Addis Ababa in 2008 and another silver in Nairobi 2010. But was second in African Championships in Benin in 2012.

In 2011, he missed the team to African Games in Maputo and went for the World championships in Daegu, South Korea.

“I am happy because these two guys will fill the void. Walking is a highly technical event. One needs to master the technique. I am happy we did not receive a warning. That is commendable,” he said. Gathimba works for Kenya Prisons and Wachira for the KDF.

“Our base is slowly but surely getting bigger. We have about 10 walkers currently. By next year, we will have about 15,” he said, regretting that because walk events don’t exist in the lucrative circuit, not many athletes go for it.

However, he is happy he has always and consistently won a medal in all major events. Kimutai tried his hands in road race to satisfy the urge of winning prize money, but was disappointed by his management. He actually clocked 62.12 in his first attempt in Nairobi, which encouraged him, but found the urge to take the move a notch higher a bit complicated and went to back to familiar grounds.

He pays tribute to George Kariuki, without whom, he says, he would not have made it.