Masai raises 2008 Olympic medal haul

From left; Vivian Cheruiyot leads, Hyvin Kiyeng, Linet Masai and Maragret Chelimo during the Kenya Police Service Cross Country Championships for the fourth consecutive year at Ngong Race in Nairobi on Janary 6, 2016. [PHOTO:DENNIS OKEYO/STANDARD]

It’s strange how a misfortune can turn into a fortune. She left the iconic Birds Nest Stadium in Beijing nine years ago crestfallen – after finishing outside the medal bracket at the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games.

But the shy-looking track assassin Linet Masai finally got a reprieve after International Olympic Committee stripped Turkey’s Elvan Abeylegesse of the 10,000m silver medal won at the Beijing outing, making then fourth-placed Masai land a bronze medal.

Abeylegesse was found to have used a banned steroid in a retest of a 2007 doping sample, which enabled America’s Shalane Flanagan to take silver.

The IOC move raised Kenya’s medal tally in Beijing to 14 – six gold, four silver and four bronze. Asbel Kiprop was elevated to gold in 2009 after Bahrain's Rashid Ramzi failed a dope test.

The news gave Masai mixed feelings as she has lost colossal sums of money in appearance fees, prize money, bonuses and other endorsements in the  2008-2012 Olympic calendar.

In this case, Masai missed $20,000 (Sh2m) cash prize for bronze medal and for appearance at the podium. Although there are no fixed appearance fees or guarantees for races in the Golden League, which changed to the 14-leg IAAF Diamond League meetings in 2009, it’s clear that Masai and other athletes who have been elevated lost money.

When contacted, Masai said: “It has taken so long for the doping tests to be confirmed. At the moment, it’s meaningless to me.”

Benjamin Limo, the former IAAF Athlete Representative, said it’s not easy to quantify the amount of cash an athlete loses.

“You know, race organisers and managers negotiate for race payments, which largely depend on an individual athlete's performance in the previous race or major championship. So, at times, it is difficult to know what the athlete could have made between competition period and the time of award.

“But I am sure they lose some good money and have wasted a lot of time," said Limo.

It was simply heart-breaking for Masai, whose mother Leonida Cherop started weaning her with honey from Elgon Forest at an early age to help prevent stomach upsets while competing.

The Masai household say Elgon Forest has many indigenous trees that have medicinal significance and bees inside the forest suck nectar that contains the medicinal substances and the medicine will prevent any kind of stomach upsets and build endurance.

Masai could have raked in good money since finishing fourth at the Beijing Olympics, thanks to her great form then.

Sample her performance in 2009: wins in Soria Cross Country, Llodio Cross Country, Dam tot Damloop, 10 miles, Adidas Women’s 5k Challenge, IAAF Grand Prix, New York, 5000m, Edinburgh Cross Country, Amorebieta Cross Country and gold at the IAAF World Cross Country Championships and World Championships 10,000m in Berlin; among others. Masai had a bumper 2008 season.

Linet Masai comes from a family with rich 10,000m pedigree.