Going gets tough for Olympic medallists Sally Kipyego, Edwin Soi and Thomas Longosiwa
Athletics
By
Jonathan Komen
| Jul 01, 2016
Bruised egos and shattered dreams were quite evident yesterday as three Olympic medallists failed to make the cut for the Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro Brazil, on August 5-21.
Olympic silver medalist Sally Kipyego, Olympic bronze medalist Thomas Longosiwa and 2008 Olympic bronze medalist Edwin Soi saw their dreams go up in smoke during the national trials at Kipchoge Keino Stadium in Eldoret yesterday.
It was not the kind of result the trio and their partisan fans were expecting. After tasting international glory, Kipyego, Longosiwa and Soi knew the script would be as usual, hold on steady for a final sprint and voila, make the Olympic team.
But things were somewhat different this time round. Their opponents had probably done their homework well. There was no turning back.
The Kenyan Olympic trials –often billed as the second most competitive after the USA – stand out as a stage for the hot talents from Kenya's rural areas to pull a fast one as they eye spots in Team Kenya.
For US-based Sally Kipyego, it was a bad day in office as she failed to make the team.
Kipyego said: "I wish Team Kenya all the best. In sports, you win and sometimes lose. I am accustomed to the trials and have always learned to absorb upsets."
"Sometimes you win and sometimes you lose and you must accept both. I am not heartbroken in any way," she said.
Despite failing to make the team, Longosiwa, who a religious man, said all is not lost as he will strive to qualify for the World Championships set for London next year.
"God has a purpose for all of us. I trained well and was in top form. But it was not my day, I guess," said Longosiwa.
Despite having battled numerous challenges in the cattle-rustling prone areas of West Pokot, Longosiwa cuts a different image in the athletics world as he never leaves his Bible behind.
"God has a reason for this (loss)," he said.
Soi said he was happy to have represented Kenya in the 2008 Olympics.